573 
LAMINITIS AND NAVICULAR DISEASE. 
Letter from Mr. Thos. Greaves, M.R.C.V.S., Manchester, 
to Mr. W. Williams, V.S., Bradford. 
My dear Sir, —Since hearing the very excellent and 
instructive paper upon “Laminitis and Navicular Disease” 
read by Mr. Seeker, of Knaresborough, and the thoroughly 
practical discussion which followed upon it, at the last meet¬ 
ing of the Yorkshire Veterinary Medical Society, I have felt 
a deeper interest, if possible, in the subject, and a stronger 
desire to know more about it. I am persuaded there is yet 
much to learn with reference to these diseases, and with that 
object in view I beg leave to suggest that you and I dispas¬ 
sionately and deliberately examine the subject. This propo¬ 
sition I make with every feeling and sentiment of respect for 
you, more especially as I find we entertain different opinions 
upon these diseases. By reasoning these views out to their 
legitimate source, some light may possibly be thrown upon 
these affections, and sound principles advanced. 
LAMINITIS. 
The opinion I entertain upon the subject of laminitis is 
that, in by far the greater number of cases, there exists in 
the animal so affected a congenital tendency to the disease, 
and that this tendency has been gradually assuming a con¬ 
dition more and more favorable to lameness for some time 
before actual lameness shows itself; that the economy and 
condition of the bony structures have been undergoing a 
peculiar change, and this too in the absence of any active 
inflammation, rather, indeed, a sort of atrophy. We know there 
are diseases which may go on in bone for a considerable 
length of time without producing much, if any, suffering; 
but which, on arriving at a certain stage or condition, from 
some simple exciting cause, will give rise to most severe 
suffering. Such is the case in diseases of the meretricious 
type, mollifies or fragilitas ossium, &c., the causes of which are 
surrounded with much obscurity, but which are supposed to 
depend upon some peculiar state of the constitution, such as 
a defective supply of phosphate of lime to the bony texture, 
or, it may be, an inordinate absorption of this material, 
causing the bone to lose much of its natural firmness. Bone 
in this condition is unable to sustain the superincumbent 
