LAMENESS. 
485 
to be sought after. How is a joint incased within the hoof to 
shew swelling, or even heat such as unprofessional touch would 
detect? nay, it is not likely even that any joint whose disease 
has originated and is seated in the synovial membrane would 
evince any such external changes as would enable inexperienced 
hands to detect the disease ; and therefore we are not to feel 
dismayed or discouraged by any such report as commonly accom- 
panies these mysterious cases, but, on the contrary, the more 
scrupulously apply our art to unravel the secret. 
The first inquiry we ought to make, is into the history of the 
case presented to us for examination. How long since the lame- 
ness occurred ; in what manner, or from what supposed cause, it 
happened ; whether it came on suddenly or by degrees, getting 
one day better, another day worse ; and what attitude the horse is 
in the habit of assuming in his stall, whether he points or rests 
the foot of his lame limb or not. These and any other requisite 
particulars being obtained, the next observation to be made is, as 
regards the horse’s action with his lame leg — in what manner he 
lifts and projects it, and sets it down upon the ground. Finally 
we proceed to the manual examination of the affected leg and 
foot, in doing which we must bear in mind that w;e are searching 
for two (out of the four) signs of inflammation, heat and swelling , 
the pain felt being evinced by the action and by the standing, and 
the redness being through the hair indemonstrable. The inflam- 
mation taking its rise in the synovial membrane being, generally 
speaking, sub-acute or chronic in its character, we are not to 
expect any very striking increase of temperature ; neither are we 
to look for any thing beyond fulness , by way of swelling, seeing 
that the increase of synovial fluid is but very moderate, and that, 
unless the case be one of combined sprain, there is no very 
remarkable infiltration into the surrounding integument. A 
careful and deliberate examination, however, will seldom fail to 
detect heat, if not swelling, of the joint affected, or in its imme- 
diate vicinity ; and there is no better way of arriving at this 
ascertainment — one of the utmost importance to us in determining 
the nature of the case — than that of repeatedly comparing the 
grasp and feel of the supposed lame joint with the correspondent 
joint of the sound limb : one feels warmer and rounder or fuller 
than the other; the perception of its natural prominences being 
obscured or obliterated by this fulness. Should the joint be 
one of those incased within the hoof, out of the reach of the 
hand, though no fulness be perceptible upon the coronet, still 
heat may be felt there or within the hollow of the heel, to a 
greater amount in one foot than the other : added to which, in a 
case of foot lameness, it is of great importance that we should pay 
