of the cause of
lameness, other than local heat, may be found twenty-four hours after
the injury has been inflicted.

In order to determine the amount or extent of hyperthermia with a fair
degree of accuracy in any given case, one must make due allowance for
external conditions affecting temperature; also the effect of a
considerable amount of hair covering an area, as well as any possible
dirt contacting the surface of the skin must be taken into account. All
dirt should be removed if practicable, so that the diagnostician's palms
may come as nearly in contact with the inflamed structures as possible.
Then, too, the sense of touch if the operator's hands are chilled, is
not dependable. In such instances the novice will need to be deliberate
as to his findings--whether or not hyperthermia really exists. Such an
examination is of little value where the subject's feet are wet and an
examination is hurriedly made, as in cases of suspected laminitis.

Often, before being able to distinguish the presence of a hyperthermic
condition, one is impressed with the fact that an animal manifests
evidence of being supersensitive. In fact, some animals in the
anticipation of pain at the touch of an injured part, will instinctively
withdraw--in self-protection--such an ailing member or resist the
approach of the practitioner. This sensitiveness is more apparent in
animals that have been subjected to previous manipulation or treatment
which has occasioned pain, and consequently, allowance must be made for
this exhibition of fear. No better example of this condition can be
imagined than is present in cases of "shoe boil," where there exists an
extensive area of acute inflammation of the elbow. There is always more
or less surface disturbance wherever vesication has been produced, and
in cases where irritants of any kind have been employed for several days
or a week previous to an examination, more or less supersensitiveness is
to be expected.

One must not lose sight of the fact that unscrupulous
dealers,--"traders"--make use of their knowledge of this principle in
various way usually for the purpose of attracting attention to a part,
which, presumably might have been blistered in order to intentionally
produce inflammation of tissues, in this way, causing lameness which is
not manifested until an animal has been kept by its new owner for
twenty-four hours or more. This, to be sure, usually makes a
dissatisfied purchaser who is willin