LAMENESS IN THE FORE LEG 175 



of the foot under eomlitions whieh favor the retention of such 

 eontaii'iuni and extension of infection into contiguous tissues. 



jMorbitie material is introduced into the region of the lateral 

 cartilage by means of calk wounds and other penetrant injuries 

 of the foot. A sub-coronary abscess which, I)ecause of lack of 

 proper care or because of virulency of the contagium or low 

 vitality of the subject, is finite apt to result in cartilaginous 

 affection and its perforation by necrosis follows. 



Symptomatology. — Quittor is readily diagnosed on sight in 

 many instances. AVhere there is depentlable history or other 

 evidence of the chronicity of an infectious inflammation of the 

 kind, quittor is easily identified. If no positive evidence of 

 the disease exists, by means of careful exploration of sinuses 

 with the probe, one nuiy distinguish between true cartilaginous 

 quittor and superficial abscess formation that is often accom- 

 panied by hyperplasia. 



Lameness depends upon the extent of the involvement as it 

 affects the structures contiguous to the cartilage. A variable 

 degree of lameness is manifested in diff'M-ent cases. 



Treatment. — Two general plans of handling this disease are 

 in vogue. One. the more popular method, consists in the in- 

 jection of caustic solutions of various kinds into the fistulous 

 openings with the object of causing sloughing of necrotic tissue 

 and the stimulation of healthy granulation of such wounds. 

 The other mode consists in either complete surgical removal of 

 the cartilage or its remaining j^ortions, or removal of the dis- 

 eased parts of curettage. 



When quittor has not extensively damaged the foot and the 

 lateral cartilage is not i)artly ossified as it is in some old chronic 

 cases, the complete removal of the lateral cartilage by means of 

 the Bayer operation or a modification thereof is indicated. A 

 complete description of the Bayer operation as well as Merillat's 

 operation for this disease (the latter consisting in part, in the 

 removal of diseased cartilage with the curette) are given in 

 Volume three of ^NFerillat's "Veterinary Surgical Operations." 



Treatment by injection of caustic solutions has many advocates 

 and because of the fact that, in many instances the condition is 



