RHEUMATIC LAMENESS. 
543 
speedily relieved from an attack of this sort, I have observed they usually 
recover their appetite and spirits ; and then those who have the care of them 
are extremely apt to indulge them with food too soon ; the consequence of 
which is, sometimes, a relapse. I suspect this was the case here ; for, on 
the third day after admission, we found the patient labouring under a very 
severe relapse, distressed breathing, quick pulse, cold extremities, great 
dejection of spirits, and total loss of appetite. Bleeding was repeated, 
rowels were inserted, the sides extensively blistered, laxative and diaphoretic 
medicines administered, and under this treatment the symptoms again sub- 
sided to a certain degree ; still, at the end of a week, we had a quick, irritable 
pulse, almost total loss of appetite, and much constitutional disturbance. 
The patient continued in this state, with but little abatement, until about 
the fourteenth day, when we found her complaining very much of the off fore 
leg, resting the foot forward, or only pointing the toe to the ground, and 
sometimes holding it up altogether : she expressed much pain on being 
handled about the fetlock, but, as yet, there was no swelling in the part. 
We employed bathing, fomentations, and local bleeding, laxative medicines, 
&c. ; but the leg seemed to get rapidly worse, and much swelling ensued, 
extending from the pastern to the knee. The mare now never put her foot 
to the ground, but absolutely hopped about the box. A quantity of blood 
was taken from the axilla, and large poultices ordered to be kept over the 
whole extent of the leg. The pulse now dropped to about 40, and the 
patient began to feed. Yet, notwithstanding an active treatment, the swelling 
and inflammation continued in the limb, with little abatement, until the middle 
of August, when it began slowly to subside. 
“ The treatment was often varied : cold applications, evaporating lotions, 
and, lastly, stimulants. By the end of August the inflammatory swelling 
was gone, leaving only a slight thickening of the leg, and a callous enlarge- 
ment, of no very great size, over the tendons at the back of the large 
pastern joint ; yet the mare seemed to make little or no use of the limb, 
walking, or rather hopping, upon the toe, and never putting the heel to the 
ground. During the month of September we had recourse to repeated blis- 
tering, with comp, tinct. of cantharides, essence of mustard, &c. &c. and 
with considerable relief to the lameness. The mare was then allowed to 
hobble about at liberty in the daytime, and certainly got a good deal 
better ; but, being still very lame, at the half-yearly inspection, which took 
place on the 20th of October, was cast and sold, being considered unfit for 
further service.” 
In the course of the late influenza — which has, for the most part, 
assumed the form of pleuro-pneumonia , and in that form has 
proved most destructive to horses — during the concluding months of 
1844, and the earlier ones of 1845, several cases of this erratic 
or rheumatic description have occurred. The lameness in general 
makes its appearance during convalescence, and is to be regarded 
rather as a favourable symptom than otherwise, no case having 
happened to ug of death from the constitutional disease aftei ' its 
manifestation. The lameness, which is commonly both sudden 
and excessive, comes oftener in one of the fore limbs than in the 
hind : occasionally, however, it appears first in one of the hind 
legs ; rarely, very rarely, in two legs at the same time. The part 
in which the local disease shews itself, accounting for the lameness. 
