FALSE QUARTER. 30] 



TKEAD, OPx OVERREACH. 



Under this term a re comprised bruises and wounds of the coronet, pro- 

 duced usually in the hind-teet, by the awkward habit of setting one foot 

 upon another, and in the fore-foot by the hinder one over-reachivg it, and 

 wounding the other near the heel. When properly treated, a tread is 

 seldom productive of much injury. If the dirt be well washed out of it, 

 and a pledget of tow dipped in Friar's balsam be bound over the wound, it 

 will, in the majority of cases, speedily heal. Should the bruise be extensive 

 or the wound deep, a poultice may be applied for one or two days, and then 

 the Friar's balsam, or digestive ointment. Sometimes a soft tumour will 

 form on the part, which will be quickly brought to suppuration by a poultice, 

 and when the matter has run out, the ulcer will heal by the application of 

 the Friar's balsam, or a weak solution of blue vitriol. 



A tread or wound of the coronet, should never be neglected, lest gravel 

 should insinuate itself into the wound, and form deep ulcerations, called 

 sinuses or j^'pes, and which constitute qu'dlor; and more particularly the 

 caustic, too frequently used by farriers, should be carefully avoided, not 

 only lest quittor should be formed, but lest the coronary ligament should be 

 so injured as to be afterwards incapable of throwing out perfect horn. 

 This defect is called 



FALSE QUARTER. 



In the coronary ligament by which the horn of the crust is secreted, if 

 either divided by the original cut or bruise, or eaten through by the caustic 

 there will be a division in the horn as it grows down, either in the form of 

 a permanent sand-crack, or one portion of the horn overlapping the other. 

 This is not only a very serious defect, and a frequent cause of lameness, 

 but it is exceedingly difficult to remedy. The coronary ligament must be 

 restored to its perfect state, or at least to the discharge of its perfect function. 

 Much danger would attend the application of the caustic in order to effect 

 this. A blister is rarely sufficiently active, and the application, not too 

 severely, of a heated flat or rounded iron to the coronet at the injured part, 

 affords the best chance of success ; the edges of the horn on eitlier side of 

 the crack being thinned, the hoof supported, and the separated parts held 

 together by a firm encasement of pitch, as described when speaking of the 

 treatment of sand-crack. The coronet must be examined at least once in 

 every fortnight, in order to ascertain wliether the desired union has there 

 taken place; and, as a palliative, during the treatment of the case, or if 

 the treatment should be unsuccessful, a bar-shoe may be used, and care 

 taken that there be no bearing at or immediately under the separation of 

 the horn. This will be best effected, if the crust be thick and the quarters 

 strong, by paring off a little of the bottom of the crust at the part, so that 

 it sliall not touch the shoe ; but if the foot be weak, an indentation, or 

 hollow, should be made in the shoe. Strain or concussion on the immediate 

 part will thus be avoided, and in sudden or violent exertion the crack will 

 not be so likely to extend upward again to the coronet, when whole and 

 sound horn has begun to be formed there. 



In some cases, false quarter assumes a less injurious character. The 

 horn grows down whole, but the ligament is unable to secrete that which is 

 oerfectly healthy, and thci'eforc there is a narrow slip of horn of a different 

 and lighter colour. This is sometimes tiie best result that can be procured 

 when the surgeon has I)cen able to obliterate the absolute crack or separation, 

 h is, however, to be regarded as a defect, not sufficient to condemn the 



