THE TREATMENT OF LAMINITIS. 
571 
I think the method I took the liberty of mentioning, as 
practised by me for the cure of acute laminitis, to he rational 
and scientific, as sound in theory as it has been successful 
and humane in practice. The disease is overcome without 
the employment of special shoes; for 1 maintain that it is 
unscientific and injurious to attach a clumsy mass of iron to 
an acutely inflamed foot. The very fact that many nails are 
required to fix it to the hoof is sufficient to make one pause ; 
and those continental veterinarians who have studied the 
malady so exhaustively are averse to such a practice. 
I have no desire to magnify the method of treating acute 
laminitis which I mentioned in my first communication on 
this subject, neither am I prejudiced in its favour, or anxious 
to force it upon the profession nolens miens. But I submit 
for the decision of those readers of the Veterinarian who are 
practical men, and yet appreciate the value of theory, which 
mode of treatment is so likely to fulfil the indications Mr. 
Broad affords us in combating acute laminitis, lessening 
vibration, and allowing the patient to transfer his weight to 
parts of the inflamed and painful organ which are but 
slightly, if at all involved. Is a felt pad less vibratile than 
an iron shoe ? Is it lighter ? Does it require nails to attach 
it to the foot ? Does the wearing of a few ounces of felt 
require less muscular exertion than as many pounds of iron ? 
And, applied to the sole and frog, is it more likely to transfer 
the animal’s weight and strain of movement to parts which 
we know to be little affected than could be accomplished 
with an awkward piece of iron which rests only on the wall 
of the hoof, and perhaps not at all on the frog, and which 
must be attached by nails driven close to the inflamed and 
acutely painful laminee ? 
Acute laminitis has been, and can be, successfully combated 
without encumbering the feet with unwieldly masses of iron. 
Mr. Broad admits this. I have never had an unsuccessful 
case ; and within a few weeks more cases have fallen into my 
hand than Mr. Broad has perhaps seen in as many years. 
It is very difficult to conceive how a very heavy shoe relieves 
the laminee of strain; certain it is, that heavy shoes are a 
cause of laminitis, and that in proportion as they are discon¬ 
tinued, and horses’ feet rationally managed, so will this 
malady become less frequent. 
My experience of heavy and light shoeing has not been 
very limited, and has led me to the belief that the first is a 
mistake and cannot be recommended, while the second is 
what every one who has carefully studied the matter will 
always prefer. I know this is not the general opinion among 
