THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XVIII, No. 214. OCTOBER 1845. New Series, No. 46. 
RHEUMATIC LAMENESS. 
By William Percivall, M.R.C.S . 
[Continued from page 487.] 
WE have asserted on the authority of our own observation and 
experience, confirmed by that of others, that the synovial mem- 
branes in the limbs of the horse occasionally become the seat of 
inflammation referrible to a constitutional source, the same as they 
are known to become diseased in man from gout and rheumatism ; 
and from the ambulatory or erratic character of this inflammation, 
from the suddenness of its attack, and equal suddenness either of 
its departure or of its translation to another joint, we cannot find 
an epithet that appears to us so suitable for it as that of rheuma- 
tic. We were once asked by the colonel of a regiment of 
cavalry, if it were our opinion that horses were ever the subjects 
of “ rheumatism for, added he, my veterinary surgeon is eter- 
nally saying that the lame horses brought to him are rheumatic ! 
That our professional colleague — now, poor fellow, resting with his 
forefathers — was a little in error in pronouncing so many cases 
“ rheumatic,” we are afraid was not to be denied ; but that horses 
are on occasions the subjects of rheumatism, or of some disorder 
too resemblant of it to so appropriately go by any other appella- 
tion, has long been our own opinion, and one we hope to be able 
to shew, in the course of this discussion of the question, we have 
had tolerably good grounds for entertaining. 
In the second volume of The VETERINARIAN — that journal 
which has been the means of bringing to light so many facts 
before its time either in concealment or unknown — it was noted 
by myself, as has been already remarked, that a singular circum- 
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