14 
INFLAMMATION IN THE FEET OF HORSES. 
ture; but I am of opinion that horses the most subject to this dis¬ 
ease have very rarely such a hotbed to stand npon. Leaving ac¬ 
cidents out of the question, these I regard as the three grand causes 
of inflammation in the foot. 
Inflammation in the foot may be either acute or chronic. It may 
affect some particular part or parts, or it may be general within 
the horny case : my present object is to speak of inflammation of 
the sensible parts in general; that disease whose nature is very 
well expressed (however incorrect the expression may appear in a 
medical sense) by the common phrase, “ fever in the feetmuch 
better, indeed, than by the technical name we have adopted for 
it, viz. “ inflammation of the laminaefor it is, in truth, no more 
inflammation of the laminae, generally speaking, than it is inflam¬ 
mation of the sole or frog : it is properly considered, inflamma¬ 
tion of the secreting structures of the hoof Reasoning on what 
I have already advanced on the subject of causation, it may be 
fairly adduced, I think, that concussion is one grand cause of in¬ 
flammatory action in parts designed by nature to afford elasticity, 
but subjected to such treatment by art, that so beneficial and ne- 
. cessary an operation is greatly interfered with, or else greatly over¬ 
strained. To exemplify my meaning here:—a horse may have 
inflammation of the feet, occasioned by hammering action upon 
paved or macadamized roads; or he may become the subject of it 
in consequence of some overstraining act of exertion. But horses 
have been known to be attacked, and simultaneously in numbers 
too, during a state of absolute rest. Such subjects have been 
mostly found on board of ship, after a voyage of some weeks or 
months; and this may seem at first view to militate against the 
principles of causation which I am now exposing. Quite the re¬ 
verse way, however, will this example be found to tend, on further 
reflection; for such rest as horses get on board of ship is not re¬ 
pose ; so far from it, indeed, that it is easy to conceive that an ani¬ 
mal in such a situation should at first experience greater fatigue 
than even if he had been all the time in actual motion: and as with 
the muscular, so it is with the elastic powers; both seem to be 
called on, in the main, for more exertion than in actual progression. 
I purposely omit to say any thing here on the subject of contrac¬ 
tion; and for two reasons:—because though connected with the 
present subject, I regard it as a distinct division of it, and as one 
which would lead me beyond my limits; and because I hope the 
subject will (as it deserves) receive consideration by some abler 
member. Before I quit the consideration of causes, I beg the 
Society’s attention to a case, by way of illustration. I was called 
some time ago to a valuable horse (the property of a gentleman of 
my acquaintance, weighing about sixteen stone) who had fallen lame 
