The seat of the disease is in the fleshy leaves about the toe, more rarely upon the side walls and quarters. Depending upon the intensity of the inflammation, the fleshy leaves are more or less loosened from the horny leaves, as a result of which there is a change of position of the os pedis, with a simultaneous sinking of the coronet at the toe. This produces a change of form of the hoof. The quarters become higher. Rings form upon the wall, and their course is quite characteristic of the disease. At the toe these rings are quite close to one another, but as they pass back towards the quarters they gradually separate from one another and recede from the coronary band (Figs. 193, 194, and 195). [Illustration: FIG. 193. Vertical longitudinal section of a foot altered by chronic laminitis: _a_, hollow wall at toe thrust forward; _b_, leafy layer much thickened and crumbling (“seedy-toe”); _c_, dotted line showing limit to which the toe may be rasped away in shoeing; _d_, dropped sole; _e_, atrophy of lower sharp edge of os pedis; _g_, dotted line indicating the height of the perioplic band; _h_, foot axis.] The wall at the toe is sunken just under the coronet; its lower part, on the contrary, is thrust forward. _Later, the white line becomes pathologically widened._ The horn of the white line is dry, crumbling, and easily broken down, so that a break in continuity (crack) is apt to occur between the wall and sole, and lead to the formation of a _hollow wall_ (“seedy-toe”). Where the inflammation is moderate and is not repeated, healing usually takes place and the horn grows down regularly and in normal direction from the coronet. However, a rather brittle condition of the horn remains permanently. If, on the contrary, the inflammation was very severe or repeated several times, the horny sole becomes flat just in front of the point of the frog as a result of the sinking of the os pedis, or it may even drop below the level of the wall (full hoof, dropped sole). Indeed, it even happens at times that the toe of the os pedis perforates the horny sole just in front of the point of the frog. The wall at the toe, which was previously but little altered in form, is now thrust prominently forward. [Illustration: FIG. 194. Foundered foot (chronic laminitis), before dressing.] [Illustration: FIG. 195. Foundered foot, dressed and shod. The dotted lines indicate its form before being dressed,—_i.e._, as shown in Fig. 194.] The inflammation of the pododerm may under certain conditions and by skilful veterinary treatment be removed, so that the characteristic changes of form and quality of the hoof will not occur. But if this is not accomplished, as is often the case, the disease will be obstinate, and permanent morbid changes of the horn capsule take place. [Illustration: FIG. 196.