THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
« 
VOL. XXIII, 
No. 276. 
DECEMBER 1850. 
Third Series, 
No. 36. 
LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
By William Percivall, M.R.C.S. and V.S. 
Sub-acute Laminitis. 
[Continued from page 617.] 
THE few writers who have noticed this form or variety of 
disease, as well, I believe, as most veterinary practitioners who 
acknowledge its existence, denominate it chronic ; a denomina- 
tion I should feel very unwilling to disturb, did I not find it used 
in senses so dissimilar as to render the true meaning of the term, 
or that which is intended to be meant by it, at times doubtful. 
Now and then, chronic implies the stage of calmness and inaction, 
laminitis, whether it be acute or sub-acute , in its progress so 
commonly runs into ; at other times, it is used to denote the form 
of disease we are now about to consider, viz. sub-acute laminitis. 
All this is ambiguous and confounding. In my opinion — and 
upon this I shall act here — chronic laminitis is but secondary — 
but a stage or sequel of one or other of the primary forms of the 
disease ; whereas, sub-acute laminitis is an original affection as 
well as the acute, in regard to which it may be looked upon as a 
distinct species or variety. According to these views, it is evident 
that either acute or sub-acute laminitis may end in chronic, but 
that the acute cannot terminate in the sub-acute disease. 
Notable Differences exist between Acute and Sub- 
acute Laminitis. In neither form is laminitis the disease of 
the unbroke or unused horse. Now and then, acute laminitis 
will appear in the four or five-year-old horse fresh taken into 
work ; more commonly it is seen attacking the horse while he is 
at work, at the middle period of his life. Sub-acute laminitis, on 
the other hand, is very apt to select for its subject the aged and 
worked horse. 2dly. Acute laminitis is the direct and immediate 
effect of work, hard either from its distressful character or from 
VOL. XXIII. 4 T 
