A CASE OF RHEUMATISM IN A HORSE. 633 
had been moderate and regular, and he had not been exposed either 
to cold or any other exciting cause of disease. 
Upon my arrival at the stable, I found the animal so lame that 
it was with great difficulty he could be led out of his loose box, 
and, from his peculiar style of going, I at once perceived that the 
near shoulder was the seat of lameness. I most minutely examined 
his shoulder and the inferior parts of the limb, but could discover 
no tangible cause for such excessive lameness, there being neither 
heat, tenderness, swelling, nor any other sign of sprain, bruise, or 
injury. His pulse was of the natural standard, his spirits good, 
and he was feeding well. I then had his shoes removed, and 
found his feet perfectly sound. 
From this total want of symptoms of external injury I felt in- 
clined to attribute the lameness to cramp or rheumatism. The 
peculiar jerking manner in which the muscular contractions were 
performed — the levator-humeri in particular, in conjunction with 
the other muscles of the shoulder, and arm being apparently spas- 
modically acted upon in every flexion of the limb — seemed to 
justify the opinion that cramp was the cause of the lameness. 
Under this impression, I pursued the following treatment : — 
Treatment. — Hot fomentations were applied to the shoulder, 
and mashes with alteratives. 
4:th. — No better. Continue the same treatment. 
5th. — The near hind leg is now similarly affected. No dimi- 
nution of lameness in the fore-quarter. I gave a five-drachm laxa- 
tive ball — the fomentations were discontinued. 
5th. — The physic is operating. The lameness in the fore and 
hind quarters not quite so much displayed. 
1th. — Physic has set, and the patient is decidedly improving. 
8th, 9th, 10 th, and 1 \th. — Rapid and regular progression to- 
wards soundness. I gave another alterative. 
12 th. — Metastasis of lameness from the affected limbs to the off 
hind leg: the 3v laxative repeated, combined with 3ij of ginger. 
13^A. — There was a gradual improvement from this to the 17th, 
when I ordered the horse walking exercise. Within ten days 
from this date he was perfectly sound, and passed an examination 
as such. 
Remarks. — After a careful consideration of the symptoms of 
the above case, I am inclined to doubt the correctness of my opinion 
— that the lameness proceeded from cramp — a term which is very 
vague, and conveys no well-defined impression of the nature of a 
disease. I am inclined to attribute the above obscure symptoms 
to that sub-acute inflammation of the muscular tissue or its invest- 
ing membrane, constituting the disease termed rheumatism ; and 
the rapid metastasis of the lameness from one limb to another fully 
