LAMINIT1S — ACUTE FOUNDER — FEVER IN THE FEET. 147 
Grey : surely, here is room enough to say to every one, chacun a 
son gout. 
The first, and the only anxiety I have, on being called to a case 
of laminitis, is to ascertain whether or not disorganization has com- 
menced : if it has, why then, of course, the mischief is irremedi- 
able ; but if it has not, — and such will generally be the case, for 
the urgency of the symptoms is too great to allow of any neglect, — 
why, then, I feel perfectly easy as to the result, and do not hesi- 
tate to predicate a favourable prognosis to the owner. I am now 
speaking of those cases in which the fore feet alone are affected, 
never having had one in which the hind feet, or all four, were 
suffering, under my own immediate care. 
My first step, without the slightest loss of time or waiting for 
any thing like preparation, is to give a full dose of physic — seven, 
eight, or nine drachms of Barbadoes aloes, as may be required — 
and then put on the hobbles and immediately insert a seton through 
each frog ; thereby applying the safety-valves, which regulate the 
course of the disease. As soon as the patient is released, and has 
a little rallied from his punishment, I have recourse to a copious 
venesection from the jugular vein. Having noticed the state of the 
animal’s condition, I place my finger on the pulse, and care not 
what quantity is taken, till it begins to falter ; but, having produced 
that effect, I stop. It may be, that the abstraction of one, two, or 
three gallons is requisite to produce this impression ; but this im- 
pression I will have produced, and some intermediate quantity of 
the amount named will most generally do it. I then have his feet 
enveloped in large tepid bran poultices, order him to be comfortably 
clothed, to have plenty of chilled water and slop mashes, and then 
consider he is fairly started on the high-road to safety. Should the 
symptoms become more urgent, bleed largely again the next day ; 
and should not the physic be operating in twenty-four hours, lose 
no time, but go on with smaller doses till their full effect is pro- 
duced : fever medicine may then be substituted, and given two or 
three times a day. Within twenty-four or thirty-six, or say, if 
you will, forty-eight hours, his physic will be operating and his 
setons discharging ; and having produced these effects, you have 
as effectually secured your patient against separation of the laminae 
and sinking of the soles as if no disease whatever had existed. 
Nothing can be more pleasant than the feeling of confidence with 
which each morning, when the poultices are being changed and 
the setons dressed, you tell the groom to pick out his feet and 
examine his soles. “ All right, sir.” “ What! no dropping I” 
“ Not a bit of it, sir,” is the certain reply ; most grooms of any 
experience knowing well what there is to be apprehended : in- 
deed, in a day or two you know how the case is progressing the 
