636 
iihp:umatismal inflammation. 
selves at the commencement of rheumatic fever—oftenest during 
its course, and frequently during the period of convalescence. They 
rarely precede the articular accumulations of fluid which accom¬ 
pany or constitute rheumatism, but they are almost always conse¬ 
cutive to this latter aflection. M. Bouley, senior, has lately ob¬ 
served, in the Hotel Dieu, a patient, who, during an attack of 
pleuro-pneumonia, the resolution of which was slow, exhibited 
symptoms of rheumatism in the right wrist. This observation 
deserves to be recorded in connexion with our present inquiries. 
After some other important observations, M. Bouley thus sums 
up the matter. 
1. Horses that have recently laboured under pleurisy are often 
suddenly attacked by lameness of a peculiar character. 
2. The aflection which determines this species of lameness 
always has its seat in the sheath of the sessamoid bones, and con¬ 
sists in inflammation of the serous membrane which lines that 
cavity. 
3. This disease manifests itself in every case separate from any 
accidental cause, whether it be during the existence of the pleu¬ 
risy, or after the complete re-establishment of the patient. 
4. This disease ordinarily attacks one fore-leg only, sometimes 
both, and rarely all the extremities at the same time. 
5. The fore-limbs are always the first that are attacked. 
6. This aflection may at first be mistaken for contusion of the 
flexor tendon, but from which it differs essentially in every re¬ 
lation. 
7. It is most serious when it attacks two or more of the ex¬ 
tremities at the same time. 
8. Being judiciously attended to it is generally cured, but never¬ 
theless, in some cases, it resists every mode of treatment. 
9. It has a great analogy with the serous inflammations of the 
viscera which are often complicated with acute rheumatism in 
the human being. 
10. Finally, this synovial inflammation develops itself in the 
horse under the same influence as the pleurisy which precedes 
it, which leads us to believe in the analogy of the tissues, and 
otherwise confirms, as we have seen, the importance of compara¬ 
tive pathology. 
