Symptoms and Diagnosis.—­This is one of the most serious conditions we are called upon to face when dealing with diseases of the foot, for in many cases it quickly ends in exhaustion and death of the patient, while in even the most favourable cases nothing better than a condition of complete and bony anchylosis is to be expected.  The owner, therefore, should be warned accordingly.

As in the other joint affections, so here, we get all the symptoms of acute febrile constitutional disturbance.  The pulse, the temperature, the respirations, and the general haggard, ‘tucked-up,’ and distressed appearances of the animal all tell too plain a tale.  Our patient is in constant pain, and the seat of the trouble is clearly enough shown by the constant pawing movements of the affected foot.  If he has room to get up and down in comfort the animal adopts for long periods at a stretch the recumbent position, and is not upon his legs long enough to take the necessary amount of food to keep him going.  Even when down, it is plain to see that the animal is not at rest.  The pawing movement is still maintained with the foot, and every now and again the eyes are opened and the headed lifted to give a troubled look round.  The appetite, too, is capricious, and in many cases almost entirely lost.

In some slight degree the condition is less to be feared in a fore than in a hind foot—­that is, so far as absolutely fatal results are concerned.  With the condition confined to one fore-foot, the animal is able to get up and down with a moderate degree of comfort.  At intervals, therefore, he rises to take nourishment, and as soon as his wants are satisfied again lies down.

With the disease in a hind-foot matters are not taken so comfortably.  The patient finds that with each day’s increasing weakness the difficulty that at first he had to raise himself with only one sound hind-foot becomes enormously increased.  The consequence is that he fears to go down, and the standing position is maintained until sheer weakness overcomes him, and he goes down, not to rise again without assistance.

If judiciously attended he is, of course, put in slings before this stage is reached; but there are instances, as in the case of a cart-mare heavy with foal, where the use of slings is most decidedly contra-indicated.

If doubt before existed as to the nature of the case, it is at a later stage dispelled by the appearance, generally in the hollow of the heel, of a hot and painful swelling.  This at first is hard, but later fluctuates.  Finally it breaks at one or more spots, and there exudes from the opening or openings a purulent and oftentimes sanious discharge, which coagulates about each fistula after the manner of ordinary synovia.

With the discharge of the abscess contents there is some slight improvement in the symptoms.  Here, with a suitable treatment, and with a patient of a particularly robust constitution, the case appears to turn, and slowly but surely progresses towards the only end we can hope for—­namely, a more or less painless anchylosis of the articulation.