DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 387 



irrigation, recommended in the treatment for cutaneous quittor, is to 

 be resorted to. Later on, when the tumor is forming on the coronet, 

 the knife must be used, and a free and deep incision made into the 

 swelling. Whenever openings appear from which pus escapes, the}^ 

 should be carefully probed; in all instances the^e listulous tracts lead 

 down to dead tissue which nature is trj'ing to remove b}- the process 

 of sloughing. If a counter opening can be made, which w^ill enable a 

 more ready escape of the pus, it should be done at once; for instance, 

 if the probe shows that the discharge originates from the bottom of 

 the foot, the sole must be pared through over the seat of trouble. 

 Whenever suppuration has commenced the process is to be stimulated 

 b}' the use of warm baths and poultices. The pus Avhich accumulates 

 in the deeper parts, especialh' along the tendons, around the joints, 

 and in the hoof, is to be removed b}" pressure and injections made with 

 a small syringe, repeated two or three times a day. As soon as the 

 discharge assumes a health}- character and dmiinishes in quantit\', stim- 

 ulating solutions are to be injected into the open wounds. Where the 

 tendons, ligaments, and other deeper parts are affected, a strong solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid — 1 to -i — should be used at first. Or strong solu- 

 tions of tincture of iodine, sulphate of iron, sulphate of copper, 

 bichloride of mercury, etc., may be used in place of the carbolic; after 

 which the remedies and dressings directed for use in simple quittor arc 

 to be used. In those cases where the fistulous tracts refuse to heal it 

 is often necessar}^ to l)urn them out with a saturated solution of caustic 

 soda, equal parts of muriatic acid and water; or, better still, with a 

 long, thin iron, heated white hot. 



But no matter what treatment is adopted, a large percentage of 

 the cases of tendinous quittor fail to make good recoveries. Where 

 the entire hoof sloughs awa}-, the growth of a new, but soft and imper- 

 fect, hoof ma}' be secured by carefully protecting the exposed tissues 

 with proper bandages. When the joints are opened by deep slough- 

 ing, recovery m^aj^ eventually take place, but the joint remains immov- 

 able ever after. If caries of a small part of the cofEnbone takes place, 

 it may be removed by an operation; but if much of the bone is affected, 

 or if the navicular and coronet bones are involved in the carious proc- 

 ess, the onh' hope for a cure is in the amputation of the foot. This 

 operation is advisable only where the animal is valuable for breeding 

 purposes. In all other cases where there is no hope for recover}-, the 

 patient's suffering should be relieved by death. In tendinous quittor 

 much thickening of the coronary region, and sometimes of the ankle 

 and fetlock, remains after suppuration has ceased and the fistulous 

 tracts have healed. To stimulate the reabsorption of this new and 

 unnecessary tissue, the parts should be fired with the hot iron, or, in 

 its absence, repeated ]>listering with the biniodide of mercury oint- 

 ment may largely accomplish the same result. 



