94 The Diseases of Animals 
weight on the inflamed feet, and when forced to move 
does so with a stiff and stilted movement. He can 
hardly hobble along. When standing, he places the 
front feet as far forward as possible, and draws the hind 
feet well under the body, in order to take the weight 
off the inflamed feet. This position causes the muscles 
of the breast to relax, and, apparently, to disappear; but 
as soon as the horse assumes the normal position the 
muscles are seen. Laminitis may start with a chill, 
followed by a rise of temperature, 103° to 104° F. 
The pulse is full, bounding, and rather: hard to the 
touch. The affected parts are hot, and there is a 
distinct throbbing of the arteries of the foot. In some 
cases the horse may lie down and roll with pain, and 
there may be severe diarrhoea. 
The shoes should be pulled off and the horse placed in 
well-bedded quarters that will tempt him to lhe down. 
This position lessens the pain and favors recovery. 
The affected feet should be wrapped with soft cloths 
or packed with moss, and kept wet with cold water to 
reduce the inflammation. A heaping tablespocnful of 
saltpeter may be given three times daily as a drench. 
In case the cold water does not relieve, try applications 
of hot water for twenty minutes at a time, every two 
hours. 
Chronic laminitis may develop from an acute form, 
or it may gradually appear as the result of mild but 
persistent irritation. It varies from cases that show 
bat a very slight soreness in the front feet, to those 
in which locomotion is difficult. The causes are, in 
general, the same as for acute laminitis. It is frequently 
