102 LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
“ How wondrous is the scene ! where all is formed. 
With number, weight, and measure ! all designed 
For some great end !” 
For the support of animal life in a state of health, it is essential 
that certain conditions be maintained, to ensure which certain phe- 
nomena are constantly and successively taking place ; they may be 
enumerated as development, growth, assimilation or maintenance, 
and natural decay. The two former are manifestly dependent on 
the presence of a nutritive or assimilative process, and no less upon 
that of natural decay or impairment of the different elemental struc- 
tures of the body. For instance the fibrils of a muscle are de- 
veloped from nucleated cells ; these fibrils increase in size or grow 
in proportion to the amount of their nutrition, but the increase or 
decrease in size is governed by the natural wear and tear of the 
muscular tissue itself. This nutrition is conveyed by that vital fluid, 
the blood, and hence the indispensableness to health that it should 
maintain a standard of composition wherein there is neither too 
great a preponderance or deficiency in any of its constituents. 
The term “weed,” as well as that of “ grease,” and “ humour,” 
is of ancient origin, as designating the existence of this disease ; the 
terms more recently applied being “inflammatory oedema” and 
“ lymphangitis.” To the first of the two latter mentioned names 
I give the preference, as I contend that primarily it is an inflamed 
state of the areolar tissue, the absorbent vessels becoming involved 
subsequently. 
This oedematous inflammation is peculiarly restricted to equine 
patients, for I never heard or read of a case occurring in any other 
species of domesticated quadrupeds. Although a constitutional 
malady, it generally attacks one of the extremities, and in the ma- 
jority of instances it selects the hind legs, confining itself to one. 
It is a very painful disease, the animal exhibiting very great pain if 
pressure be applied to the inner side of the affected limb ; and should 
necessary relief be neglected disastrous effects are very likely to 
accrue. 
Adverting to pathology, inflammatory oedema is an oedematous 
condition of the limb, the result of inflammation of the areolar 
tissue, and due to a plethoric habit of body. It is a point of some 
value, as regards the fact of plethora inducing this disease, that 
horses used for draught work are notably sufferers, whereas their 
more speedy footed relations are almost exempt. It is obvious that 
animals being indulged in a diet proportionate in quantity and 
quality to the amount of their exercise or work, must be less sus- 
ceptible to an invasion of disease. On the contrary, how often do 
we find our draught horses badly attended, irregularly fed, and 
otherwise ill-treated. An animal having worked hard during the 
first three or four days of the week, being then regularly fed with a 
sufficiency of good provender, has, perhaps, the remainder of the 
week to remain out of work, and instead of being cautiously fed and 
exercised daily, he is closeted in the stable the whole of the time, 
and as though he were undergoing his usual work, and very pro- 
