QUITTOR. 597 



whilst no knowledge is gained, and no possible or expected 

 consequences are prevented, but are often brought on by 

 such a course ; therefore we content ourselves with the 

 removal of the cause, and in the majority of cases do no 

 more than have regard to the general health of the foot. 



The removal of stubs of wood calls for special dexterity ; 

 and the proper after-treatment, when the foreign body has 

 been dislodged, is to apply a linseed-meal poultice, repeating 

 it once in twelve hours, and continuing for three or four 

 days. It sometimes happens, despite all our care, that 

 parts of a stub will be so embedded in the tissues as to 

 evade detection, in which case the suppurative process, 

 which will ensue by the fourth or fifth day under the pre-' 

 scribed measures, will lead to the detection and easy re- 

 moval of the offending part. When matter is formed, and 

 the wound becomes clear of all extraneous bodies, water- 

 dressings are the best, consisting of pledgets of wet tow 

 laid over the wound, and retained by a bandage. 



QUITTOR. 



Quittor is perhaps the most painful disease to which the 

 horse is subject. It is another of the disorders that should 

 be prevented ; but since it is the nature of our calling to 

 remedy evils that have happened, as well as devise means 

 of prevention, we must prepare to take cases as we find 

 them, and restore the suffering patient in the best possible 

 manner. 



As we have, it is believed ; done a good deal in the way 

 of prevention, and establishing a right course of treatment 

 of quittor, so far as our practice and teaching has ex- 

 tended; it may be advisable to go into the details of the 

 disease, which happily is not amongst the most frequent 

 of occurrence ; and when present, none but a qualified 



