SWELLED LEGS GENERALLY. 
143 
grass to be seized with swelling in the legs. This is occa¬ 
sioned by the difference of food, owing to its containing 
a greater proportion of nutriment, which naturally increases 
the quantity of the blood, and the want of that exercise 
which is necessary to carry it off by the skin. It will 
therefore be quite apparent that exercise and a little open¬ 
ing medicine will effect a cure. 
Horses may also have swelled legs from general debility. 
The proper quantity or quality of food may induce this, 
or it may proceed from disease that has reduced the strength 
of the animal system. The limbs, being the most remote 
from the centre of circulation, first exhibit loss of power; 
and this is manifested by swelling, in consequence of the 
accumulation of fluids in them. 
The cure in this case would be to give such diet and 
tonic medicines as would tend to invigorate the system, 
as well as to administer mild diuretics. 
Horses are liable to swellings in the limbs in the spring 
and fall of the year. This can be accounted for by the 
principal activity of the circulation being employed in pre¬ 
paring a fresh covering of hair at those periods, so that the 
vital influence in the extremities is somewhat diminished, 
and the same cause as above explained produces swellings 
in the legs. Administer diuretics to diminish the quantity 
of the circulating fluid, and give cordials to strengthen the 
system. 
Swelling of the legs is also common to horses which are 
used for hunting and pleasure only. This, it will be seen, 
arises from irregularity in their habits, one day having a 
more than sufficient exercise, and probably standing for days 
or weeks in a stable, and only walked out or trotted for 
a short distance. In such cases the limbs should be well 
