260 
LAMINITIS AND ITS TREATMENT, 
Veterinarian. Two horses_, all of whose feet were affected 
with laminitis, were being treated by a neighbouring 
M.R.C.V.S., who had carried out Mr. Broad^s system of 
treathaent in every respect, except in having special shoes put 
on, and were travelled fifteen miles with inflamed feet. They 
were excessively lame, all the soles of both horses being sunken, 
and blood oozing from the toes of the fore feet of one of the 
horses. This certainly gives one an idea of war time during 
peace. I cannot, however, understand why the horses became 
lame in the hind feet when put in loose boxes and made to 
stand upon sawdust. Were the hind feet inflamed previous to 
the terrible journey of fifteen miles, and were the false leathers 
put on to protect the soles ? were they inflamed in conse¬ 
quence of having to support all the weight, in addition to 
propelling the animals during the journey, and the subse¬ 
quent ordeal of moving and supporting the increased weight 
of the two and three pound bar shoes on the fore feet ? or 
were they really inflamed in consequence of a little sawdust 
having lodged on the ground surface of the leather soles? I 
understand they were inflamed before the journey. Can we 
wonder they were under-run afterwards, and would any 
theorist blame the sawdust ? 
I have explained the rationale of my treatment, and the 
reason why T allow the horse to sustain his weight on soles and 
frog. I have also given examples of my success by this rational 
method, founded, as all seience is founded, on theory and prac¬ 
tice. Will Mr. Broad explain to us the theory of his two and 
three pound bar shoes nailed to acutely inflamed feet, and 
w^hich are covered, besides, with leather soles ? Though he 
looks upon the use of Cherry^s footpads and Japanese (not 
Chinese) straw shoes as more ideal than real, yet I believe 
in them, and have given my reasons for doing so. Those 
who understand the pathology of laminitis will, perhaps, 
agree with me; at any rate, the success attending my alliance 
of theory with practice will induce me to continue my mode 
of treating laminitis, should I ever again have the oppor¬ 
tunity, until my theorizing devises something better. 
In the mean time, I hope many of the younger members 
of the veterinary profession in this country may not be fright¬ 
ened from theorizing by Mr. Broad’s letter. The only matter 
for regret, perhaps, in the history of veterinary medicine in 
Britain is, that we have had so few theorists—so few thinking 
men. The bee or beaver-like routine of every-day expe¬ 
rience has not been much enlivened by thought; for all 
theorists must be thinkers, and thinkers of the proper kind, 
not dreamers; men of ideas capable of observing facts. 
