CONTRIBUTIONS TO VETERINARY MEDICINE. 423 
swelling attendant on the suppuration of the glands sometimes 
reached more than half way along the abdomen, and the 
abscesses repeatedly healed and broke out again. The treat¬ 
ment at first was antiphlogistic, but had soon to be changed 
for tonics, wine and milk, of which last she drank quantities. 
This leg (near hind) was hardly partially restored before 
laminitis took place in the opposite foot (from having to 
sustain so much extra weight for so long), and ended in my 
having to remove the sole. This, however, was doing well, 
when large abscesses formed about the spine of each ilium, 
discharging profusely. This helped to reduce the patient 
still further, and was brought on by pressure when lying, 
aided by the lean condition of the mare. Latterly she lay a 
great deal from debility as well as pain. 
The owner now had her destroyed. Unfortunately I had 
not an opportunity of making a post-mortem , but I am inclined 
to believe that the system in this case also was contaminated 
from absorption, by reason of the mare^s continued ill health 
and constant bad condition, notwithstanding all that was done 
for her. 
Season does not appear to influence the production of this 
disease, as far as I have seen; neither am I possessed of 
sufficient statistics to decide as to any preference it may 
manifest for sex. These three cases were all mares. 
For the solution of its production, three views present 
themselves: 1st. Disorder of the digestive system, creating 
an inflammatory diathesis. 2d. Proneness to metastasis, 
similar to laminitis, from overloaded stomach. In the second 
view I notice, its great frequency in draught horses, prin¬ 
cipally those of agriculturalists; that diseases of the digestive 
organs are the most frequent of any in these subjects; that 
surfeit may produce more chyle than the lacteals can readily 
get rid of; that the state of repletion will tend to place all 
function but that of the digestive system in abeyance; that 
this will favour accumulation of chyle in the absorbent system 
of the trunk; that this will render it desirable the plantar 
supply should cease for a time; that obstruction takes place 
first in the axillary or femoral glands; that this is probable 
from the structure of internal tunic of the intraglandular 
absorbent vessels; that the greater venous vascularity of the 
trunk may relieve the lacteal system to a greater extent than 
the lesser venous vascularity of a limb may be able to relieve 
its absorbents; that this is more the case at the inferior 
extremity of the limb than at the superior, as inferred from 
the manner in which the swelling increases; that the plantar 
