62 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PATHOLOGY AND 
from which he readily recovered. About two years ago, he was 
seized, for the first time, with a fit of megrims; and from that 
period to the present*, he has continued to have such fits, when 
made to travel quicker than he chose to go of himself, particu¬ 
larly when drawing a load up hill, at which times they have 
always been observed to be more severe than when manifested 
upon even ground. 
For several weeks past the old horse has accumulated flesh 
rapidly ; and at the time I was called in, it was remarked by the 
family that for many years he had never looked better than at pre¬ 
sent. At 7 o’clock this morning he was fed as usual, and left; but 
upon going to him again about two hours afterwards, he was ob¬ 
served to exhibit symptoms of acute pain, and to breathe very hur¬ 
riedly ; and I was accordingly requested to see him. 
Present Symptoms. —The horse is standing in the stable upon 
three legs, the left hind limb being held with the foot from the 
ground—great anxiety is depicted in the animal’s countenance, 
and he frequently looks round at the limb held up—the respira¬ 
tions are 48 per minute—the pulse 96, and hard, and cord-like to 
the touch—the nostrils are dilated to their full extent, and the per¬ 
spiration rolls in drops from the sides of the abdomen, the shoul¬ 
ders, and the thighs. The affected limb is greatly distended upon 
its inner surface, from its junction with the body to the very foot. 
The lymphatic glands are swollen into large lumps or masses, and 
towards them in ail directions run a great number of lymphatic 
vessels, enlarged to the size of a thick quill ; these enlarged ves¬ 
sels exist on the outer as well as the inner side of the limb. 
The surface of the swelling is covered with a serous exudation— 
the mouth is dry and clammy, and great desire is evinced for cold 
water. 
The treatment consisted of bleeding—fomentations long con¬ 
tinued to the limb—the giving of sedatives and purgatives; but, 
in spite of all remedies, the violence of the symptoms raged with¬ 
out any interruption for thirty hours, the size of the limb gradu¬ 
ally increasing, until, in appearance, it resembled the limb of an 
elephant. The swelling also extended along the sheath, along the 
under surface of the abdomen, and the side of the flank. 
28 ill. —To-day the pulse has fallen to 74, and the respirations to 
28 per minute—the physic is purging freely—the pain in the 
limb is greatly abated—the animal has eaten a bran mash. To 
continue the mashes, with the addition of a few boiled oats and lin¬ 
seed. The swollen limb to be folded with bandages which have 
been dipped in hot water, and spirits of turpentine sprinkled upon 
them: the bandages to be changed every three or four hours. 
* i. e. at the time I date the case from : let this be understood in all cases. 
