106 LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
elephant’s leg or elephantiasis. It is generally noticed in horses 
that have had repeated attacks of inflammatory oedema, and very 
probably suffered from attacks of grease. The skin is thickened, 
and the leg itself enormously enlarged and callous. We sometimes 
see grease as following or associated with an attack of inflammatory 
oedema. Deep-seated abscesses have been known to occur in this 
malady ; so also have cases of partial sloughing of the hoof. The 
formation of abscesses in the region of the principal joints has been 
previously mentioned. 
Diagnosis . — There is no disease with which I am conversant that 
is very liable to be confounded with inflammatory oedema; but those 
which might be mistaken for the disease under discussion are, per- 
haps, grease, passive oedema, swellings of the limb in cases of injured 
feet from shoeing, and inflammation of the skin of the heel and leg 
of an erysipelatous character, in conjunction with a cracked heel. 
The swelling of the limb in grease is due to inflammation of the 
skin and areolar tissue immediately in connection with it, and very 
seldom, if ever, ascends above the hock or knee. In passive oedema 
there is no constitutional disturbance, and no pain upon pressure, 
the swelling being confined to the most dependent portion of the 
limb or limbs. The oedema present in cases where there is an 
erysipelatous tendency is dependent upon inflammation of the areo- 
lar tissue, and this again is secondary in occurrence to the primary 
one of inflammation of the skin. In all these ailments there is an 
absence of swelling of the thigh or arm, and that diagnostic symp- 
tom pain upon pressing the inner side and upper part of the limb. 
Prognosis — Not being a fatal disease, a favorable prognosis may 
be given as to the ultimate recovery of the patient ; but still care is 
necessary in pronouncing an opinion as to whether or not the leg 
will regain its former healthy condition. The younger the animal 
the more favorable the prognosis. 
Causes . — In this malady, as in many others, there is no one thing 
to which can be ascribed the absolute cause ; therefore it is neces- 
sary to take into consideration all collateral circumstances. This 
disease I regard as being purely an inflammatory one, dependent 
upon an altered condition of the circulating fluid ; what that alte- 
ration is, and how it produces its effect, remains for us to examine. 
For the purpose of maintaining a normal standard of health, a 
certain equilibrium of the reparative or nutritive process, and that 
of decay or absorption, is necessary, consistent with the existing 
state of the system; but should an excess of either condition 
preponderate in the extreme, it is plainly evident some constitu- 
tional alteration must result. Now, in the majority of animals 
which are subjects of this disease there is, previously to the attack, 
an asthenic condition of the system ; some, perhaps, are poorly 
fed, others, although well fed, are worked out of all proportion to 
the amount of nutritive material taken ; thus both are brought to a 
similar condition by dissimilar means, there being in one a deficient 
supply of nutrition, in the other the excessive wear and tear of the 
tissues generally causes the impairment of the system. Having 
