All the news (good or bad) from Summerhill Stables

Robert's been home since Monday.

He is really in very little pain from the hip replacement operation. His main problem is that just before he went into hospital he developed gout in his right foot. This now makes putting his right foot to the ground pretty painful and, as it was his right hip which was replaced, it does not make walking any easier. He’s now on just one stick and that’s just seven days after the op. Quite frankly the gout pain is far worse than the hip pain.

The first medication the hospital gave him for the gout caused unbelievable problems which his guts. Robert read the manufacturer’s information and immediately stopped the pills. Now our GP has taken him off them. He will not disclose the full details they would not be suitable for transmission over the ether!!!

Of course Robert has now become an expert on gout and an extreme bore on the subject.

In 1683, Thomas Sydenham, an English physician, described gout occurrence in the early hours of the morning, and its predilection for older males as follows:-

Gouty patients are, generally, either old men, or men who have so worn themselves out in youth as to have brought on a premature old age - of such dissolute habits none being more common than the premature and excessive indulgence in venery*, and the like exhausting passions. The victim goes to bed and sleeps in good health. About two o'clock in the morning he is awakened by a severe pain in the great toe; more rarely in the heel, ankle or instep. The pain is like that of a dislocation, and yet parts feel as if cold water were poured over them. Then follows chills and shivers, and a little fever... The night is passed in torture, sleeplessness, turning the part affected, and perpetual change of posture; the tossing about of body being as incessant as the pain of the tortured joint, and being worse as the fit comes on.

* At first glance we thought that “venery” implied a predeliction for alcohol – we were wrong. “Venery” has two definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary; firstly ‘hunting’ (from the Latin verb ‘venor, venari’ to hunt) and secondly ‘sexual indulgence’ (derived from the Latin word venus as in venereal). Take your pick as far as Robert’s concerned!!!

Robert thought you would like this cartoon by James Gillray (1757-1815) of a gout victim.

The Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek first described the microscopic appearance of urate crystals in 1679. In 1848 English physician Alfred Baring Garrod realized that this excess uric acid in the blood was the cause of gout.

Gout is rare in most other animals due to their ability to produce uricase, which breaks down uric acid. Humans and the great apes have lost this ability, and thus gout is common. The Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen known as "Sue", however, is believed to have suffered from gout. Presumably she was a Tyrannosaura Regina.

Pikey is fine and coping well with the problems of having a husband who can do nothing to help her. The real joy is the lovely Moby is still looking after us until the 18th and we are having great fun and learning a hell of a lot about Zimbabwe

Loads of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ from Robert and Pikey

This blog is published every Friday (tea-time-ish) to keep you up to date with the events and thoughts from Summerhill Stables. Our email address is rholl@tiscali.co.uk