Qiiittor ; its Treatment. 145 



"When this has been effected the horn will be 

 quickly reproduced, but when much of the horn 

 of the sole has had to be cut away, it will take 

 at least six months to restore fully that which 

 had been removed so that the horse may be again 

 fit to work. To restore the healthy condition of 

 the foot very active means must be adopted ; 

 caustic applications alone will destroy the ulcer- 

 ated surface. To ascertain the state of the dis- 

 ease a probe must be used, and if it touches any 

 of the bones it is doubtful if a cure can be 

 effected even by the most skilful. One thing is 

 certain, if it is found when the probe is inserted 

 into the fistulous openings on the coronet that the 

 direction of the sinuses is backward, it is highly 

 probable that a cure may be effected ; but if the 

 pipes have a forward direction there is great 

 doubt of a cure being effected. The treatment 

 I have always adopted with quitters is to open 

 the hoof in the diseased part, and allow of free 

 suppuration ; wash clean with warm soda and 

 water, dress, and inject into the pipes carbolized 

 oil, strength four oil, one acid ; this requires to 

 be done three times a day. Carbolic acid, being 

 a powerful caustic and an antiseptic, has the 

 power of destroying the ulceration, and its anti- 

 septic properties prevent suppuration. In most 

 cases of quittor after carbolic acid has wrought 

 its work in the healing process, we often find 

 a superfluous growth of flesh, and it becomes 

 necessary to apply nitrate of silver to remove it. 

 This must be used with great caution, as it is of 

 the utmost importance in this stage to check the 



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