QUITTOR. 553 



caustics or by the actual cautery, or by both together. La 

 Fosse, the elder, who was rather fond of novelty, in some 

 measure overturned this practice in France, and introduced 

 a new method, founded on an idea that the obstinacy and de- 

 rangement that accompanied the complaint originated in the 

 lateral cartilages becoming carious ; these he affirmed were 

 capable of being thus affected, but incapable either of ex- 

 foliating like bone, or sloughing like ligament ; and there- 

 fore, to promote a cure, the whole cartilage must be re- 

 moved. This practice became universal in France, and ex- 

 tended itself here also, particularly after M. St. Bel assumed 

 the professorship of our Veterinary College. Here it 

 reigned a little time only ; but in France it continued until 

 the writings of M. Girard on the subject checked its 

 career, and brought its practice into some disrepute. This 

 celebrated professor showed the superiority of the old 

 method of employing corrosives ; and the success of the 

 practice at the Alfort School, over which he presided, 

 tended further to bring these into use. Perhaps also our own 

 success with them might have hastened the re-adoption. 



The practical part of the treatment of qiiittor should be 

 commenced by acquainting ourselves with the actual state 

 of the parts ; and this is the more necessary, as it will often 

 prevent us from being involved in a fruitless attempt, which 

 will probably bring disgrace on our practice, torture on an 

 innocent beast, and ensure trouble and useless expense on 

 our employer. When, by the use of a pliable probe, we 

 meet with a firm hard body, a bone, the case cannot be said 

 to be a favourable one : but unless the cartilages be also 

 carious, such horses frequently become sound, therefore 

 our opinion should be to that effect. If, in addition to 

 caries of the bone and cartilages, we observe a flow of 

 synovia also, a perfect cure is hardly to be expected ; 

 although even here the powers of the constitution have 

 occasionally restored the foot to a degree of utility ; and as 

 these cases happen principally to the hind feet, and very 

 frequently to our large and valuable draught-horses, the 

 attempted cure might be worth the trial. When we detect 

 caries of the anterior or lower parts of the lateral cartilages, 

 we must then be aware that the process of exfoliation is a 

 very difficult one to promote, in consequence of the small 



