66 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PATHOLOGY AND 
The disease in question, in its acute states, may terminate either 
in resolution—when it will gradually subside after reaching its 
acme, and leave the limb in its healthy state—or it may terminate in 
what I denominate chronic lymphatitis , i. e. when the limb affected 
remains permanently enlarged, and which of these states may 
supervene appears to depend altogether upon certain peculiarities 
in the constitutional energies induced by age. When the animal 
affected is aged, the limb very rarely, or, perhaps, never, subsides 
to its original size, but remains permanently thickened, and 
generally very much so; why such is the fact, does not at present 
admit of a ready explanation: we require more facts, furnishing 
us with the actual tissues involved, and state of the parts diseased 
at different ages. 
In the present case, not only were the lymphatic glands and 
vessels diseased, but the cellular tissue of the limb was exten¬ 
sively implicated likewise. Perhaps, in young horses the glands 
and vessels only are affected, while in aged subjects the areolar 
tissue partakes of the change as well; but it is useless to offer 
any hypothesis upon the question—let every one in the profession 
at all desirous of its advancement investigate more into its nature, 
and furnish facts to found a true theory upon. 
Its Predisposing Causes are sufficiently simple, in nearty all 
cases, to admit of a ready explanation. The chief are, peculiarity of 
breed—the regular giving of very nutritious food in too great an 
abundance—previous attacks of the same disease—old age, and 
the sudden changing of the animal from a poor to a rich diet. 
The immediate or exciting Causes are, heavy blows upon the 
limbs, severe scratches, cuts, sudden over-exertion, the working 
of the animal in water or very wet ground—the sudden checking 
of old discharges from diseased limbs, such as grease, bad thrushes, 
&c.—allowing the animal to stand in cold draughts when per¬ 
spiring freely, or checking the perspiration suddenly by riding him 
into a stream of cold water. 
The disease frequently, perhaps always, commences with a 
shivering fit, which is speedily followed by the train of symptoms 
described, though perhaps not always of so severe a character. It 
generally reaches its acme in from twenty-four to forty hours after 
its commencement. Heavy draught horses are the most predis¬ 
posed to its attacks. I am not aware vffiether thorough-bred ani¬ 
mals are ever so affected; but hunters, hackneys, and carriage- 
horses are all more or less liable, particularly when other predis¬ 
posing causes are favourable. Its attack is generally very sudden; 
and a great peculiarity of it is, that it most, commonly manifests 
itself in the left hind limb. I have memoranda of eighteen cases; 
the subjects of sixteen of them had the disease in the left hind leg, 
and two in the left fore leg. Mr. Percivall says, “ it occasionally” 
