METASTASIS OF INFLAMMATION. 
161 
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, fomenta¬ 
tions, and local bleeding, laxative medicines, See. ; but the leg 
seemed to get rapidly worse, and much swelling ensued, extend¬ 
ing 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 inflamma¬ 
tion 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, evaporat¬ 
ing 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 enlargement, 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 
blistering, 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 day time, and 
certainly got a good deal better; but, being still very lame, at 
the half-yearly inspection, which took place on the 20th of Octo- 
tober, was cast and sold, being considered unfit for further 
service. 
The occurrence of this case has originated the present memoir; 
in which, by taking a retrospective view of a considerable period 
of practice, I have endeavoured to connect this fact with others 
which I have noticed of a similar nature; and, by following this 
course, I have thought to render it more interesting to my bre¬ 
thren. I hope others will do the same, as many facts are always 
better than one. 
While on this subject, I may also observe, that I have seen 
several instances which have induced me to believe that the peri¬ 
odical ophthalmia, with which we have so often to struggle in 
vain, may not unfrequently arise as a metastasis, or supervening 
consequence,upon certain disturbed states of the system; and I 
think I have seen this occur decidedly after long-continued or 
repeated attack of diabetes, a disease often occasioned by feed¬ 
ing upon unsound or mow-burnt and badly kiln-dried oats. 
I had an opportunity of noticing some well-marked cases of 
VOL. III. Z 
