LAMINITIS. 
649 
common than any other cases ; and I have proved beyond 
the slighest doubt that the thicker the shoes, in reason, the 
sounder will your horse go, and the longer will he last. Mr. 
Fleming asks, “ Does a foot loaded with a heavy shoe strike 
as lightly on the ground as one carrying a plate of one 
ounce?” I say most decidedly. Does Mr. Fleming mean 
to tell us that because he puts on a pair of thick shooting 
boots that he must necessarily go and stamp his feet, or in 
any way walk differently from when he has on light shoes ? 
Any man who is fond of dancing knows the tender state of 
his feet after an evening’s entertainment in that way; well 
may my father, or any other practical man, express his 
astonishment at Mr. Fleming’s assertion, that heavy shoes 
increase concussion. No matter how far back the use of 
stout shoes in the treatment of laminitis dates (on dit, there 
is nothing new under the sun), I have no doubt in those days, 
although the practice may have been suggested, there was not 
sufficient science brought to bear upon shoeing to properly 
carry it out. I have not the slightest doubt but that Mr. 
Fleming considers his method of treating acute laminitis 
rational and very scientific; but I hope he will allow me to 
doubt it, and to mention two cases in which his system has 
proved an utter failure. A grey cab horse, the property of 
Mr. Thomas, of Bristol, was the subject of acute laminitis in 
the month of March last, and was experimentally treated by 
me according to Mr. Fleming’s method. I persevered, and 
carried out his system to the letter for three weeks, until I 
found the patient no better, it being quite impossible to get 
it out of the box. I then was obliged to have recourse to the 
never-failing stout bar-shoe, which has been advocated by so 
many practical veterinarians in your pages ; and the result 
was in three days the horse took exercise easily, and in four¬ 
teen days was at light work again. Again: I was called to 
see a roan pony, which the owner thought had broken his 
back, as he could not move. He had travelled a long journey 
the day before. I found him suffering from acute laminitis, 
for which 1 administered 5vj barb, aloes, and applied my 
stout bar-shoes, heavier if anything than those used by my 
father. The effect was magical. In three days the pony 
moved freely, and in three weeks was put into regular work. 
I do not feel justified in unnecessarily taking up the space 
of your valuable journal with the particulars of any other 
cases, although 1 have had many, all of them being equally 
successful. I have not the slightest doubt but that, notwith¬ 
standing Mr. Fleming’s dogmatical remarks, we shall see this 
system of treating laminitis generally adopted among practi- 
