SITFAS'rS, HARD TITMOURS, QIJITTOR. 125 



much good in very little more time. When suppuration has taken place, 

 the cure is to be completed by dressinjrs of detergent ointment, taking care 

 that the sore does not hea! too fast. Should this be the case, put blue stone 

 powdered, upon the plaister once or twice, or merely touch it with lunar caus 

 tic as often. Sometimes the callosity does not come off of itself, though the 

 edges rise up ; it is then to be taken away by force, separating it from the 

 living parts with the knife. The small portion of blood that comes away does 

 no harm, but the contrary. If, however, any one objects to the use of the 

 knife, or doubts his skill in this operation, mercurial ointment will effect the 

 same end, as follows : 



Ointment for SitJ'ast. 



Oil of turpentine, 10 ounces, 

 Blue ointment, 8 ounces, 

 Gum ammoniacum, 4 ounces; 

 Mix and apply to these and all hard tumours. 



aUITTOR 



Is a disease of the foot, at the coronet, but is so decidedly fistulous, that I 

 choose to treat of it in this place, rather than in the chapter devoted to the foot 

 in general, that the student may more readily remember the general observa- 

 tions I thought necessary to prefix to this whole class of diseases, at page 110; 

 &c. 



Cause. — A tread which the horse inflicts on itself, for the most part, seeing 

 that it generally occurs on the inside of the foot. This tread or bruise may 

 either be inflicted upon the coronet, or lower down, by over-reaching, or even 

 at the sole ; by taking up a stone or other hard substance ; also by a prick or 

 blow in shoeing. A quittor is also sometimes occasioned by gravel working up 

 into an aperture left by an old nail, acting upon the sensible laminated sub- 

 stance, separating it from the insensible, leaving a cavity from the aperture 

 quite up to the coronet, where it lodges, inflames, and produces abscess, which 

 is frequently very diflicult and troublesome to cure ; if not early attended to, 

 sinuses form, sometimes reaching to the coffin bone. The blood vessels at 

 the coronet cease to perform their proper function of secreting new horri and 

 the consequence is frequently the loss of the inner quarter of the hoof. 



Cure. — The sore is always very small, but admits of a probe being intro- 

 d^iced, by which the extent of the evil may be ascertained, and this is gene- 

 rally very extensive and ruinous, according to the time it may have been al- 

 lowed to make head. The probe will pass readily forward and backward to 

 the whole course of the disease, and sometimes it will be found to have pene- 

 trated to the coffin bone, every where forming sinuses or pipes, as in fistula of 

 the withers before described. But in this case situation makes considerable 

 difference : unlike the former, poultices are rendered inapplicable, whilst the 

 employment of the knife or lancet is dangerous in the extreme. Besides 

 which, the diseased part is already open, and seems to invite the only species 

 of remedy yet known, in the sha[)e of escharotics, that by irritating the case 

 or caestus, which forms the sinuses, shall cause it to slough off. In slight 

 cases, those which are found not to have penetrated deep, the simple applica- 

 tion of a wash will prove sufficient, and may be employed in this manner. 

 Dissolve blue vitriol in water, and charge a syringe therewith; this is to be 

 discharged into the orifice, and suffered to remain, as much as can be retained. 

 A poultice of bread or oatmeal is to cover the part, and the cure will be com- 

 pleted after two or three days. But unfortunately tor the owner and the nrxi- 



