THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
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symptoms indicated the existence of a degree of pleurisy, involving 
the heart and pericardium to some extent. The off hind leg was 
rigidly extended, and the foot, as it were, firmly fixed to the ground. 
It was stated that the limb had been in this condition with little 
variation during the continuance of the disease. He was now bled 
until considerable alteration was felt in the strength of the pulse, 
and a small quantity of laxative medicine given. The spasm 
almost immediately entirely left the limb, and he gradually re- 
covered. It is worthy of remark that cramp is a very common 
accompaniment of acute diseases of the heart. 
The other was the case of an Arabian stallion belonging to an 
officer in the garrison, which had been suddenly seized with cramp 
in the off hind leg, and which had continued so for two or three 
hours. The owner, as soon as he was informed of the circumstance, 
came for me, and stated that he was afraid his horse had dislocated 
the patella. From the description, however, I stated that it was only 
cramp, which on arriving at the stable I found to be the case. His 
off hind leg was rigidly extended, and his foot, as in the other 
case, fixed to the ground, so that he could scarcely be moved ; and 
when that had been effected, with difficulty the limb was extended 
outwards and backwards, nearly quite straight, except with the foot 
bent backwards from the fetlock, so that the front of the hoof was 
presented to the ground, and all the muscles of the limb in such a 
rigid state of contraction, that they felt like so many bones. He 
appeared otherwise in perfect health, and, his owner having been 
from home, his exercise had not been regular for some days. The 
owner was somewhat sceptical as to the temporary nature of the 
affection, and was only convinced that the patella was not dislo- 
cated by being shewn its relative position in the other limb. I 
afterwards found that this arose from the horse having had a pre- 
vious attack, and being treated as if there had been dislocation of 
that bone. Hand-rubbing was ordered for about ten minutes, and 
he was then led out, which was done with difficulty : the walking, 
instead of removing the cramp, as in most cases I had previously 
seen it do, seemed to increase the spasms. As the place was incon- 
venient for exercise, and there was a number of spectators, he was 
immediately taken in again, and the limb well hand-rubbed for 
five minutes or more ; when, after moving him about a few times 
in the stall, the spasms suddenly ceased, and he moved for a 
step or two as if nothing had happened. It occurred again, how- 
ever, a few times, for a second or two at a time, and then quite 
left him. 
It is seldom that cramp continues so long as it did in these cases. 
