156 



The treatment of quittor, which varies with the nature of the cause, 

 requires patience and skill, as a cure is not often made before the lapse of 

 about ten weeks or so, and may be a much longer affair, if the disease has 

 already been of some duration. In the first place, the shoe should be 

 removed at once and the sole pared and examined, in order to discover any 

 possible wound, prick, or corn. If matter be found in the foot, as the result 

 of any of these causes, an opening must be made at the sole, in order to 

 liberate it, and allow of its escape when renewed. Then the foot should be 

 poulticed for several days, the bran being prevented from entering the 

 wound, by placing a piece of cloth over it. The coronet may be blistered 

 with advantage, by means of the ointment of the red iodide of mercury. 

 Shoeing with a bar shoe is ordered by us when the foot is much injured, and 

 the animal seems to require it. Into the wound, it is a good practice to 

 inject a solution of bichloride of mercury from above — half a drachm to the 

 ounce of water, with a few drops of hydrochloric acid added. This 

 preparation is a safe and efficient method of removing the diseased 

 walls of the purulent channel, but it must not be repeated more than twice. 

 If the tumour at the coronet have no opening, it will be best to make an 

 orifice with a knife, prior to blistering the elevated and swollen tissues. 

 When the disease does not take its origin from below, or when no prick or 

 • corn can be discovered, it is our custom to probe the wound at the coronet 

 with the view of ascertaining its extent. The veterinarian then passes a 

 bistour}^ with a hidden knife (bistouri cache) into the sinus, and, as he 

 withdraws it, the instrument cuts through the diseased tissues. In addition 

 to these measures, we may inject a solution of bichloride of mercury 

 of the same strength as mentioned into the wound, not repeating it 

 again unless necessary. If the wound still has an unhealthy appearance 

 in four or five days' time, a second injection may be made. In the 

 meantime, the foot should be enveloped in poultices, which should be 

 renewed at least every day. There is no occasion to use strong astringent 

 applications. Moreover, the practice of burning away the diseased tissue at 

 the coronet with a red-hot iron, though sometimes a very good one, is not 

 often necessar)^ In some protracted cases, when all other measures haA e 

 been taken, and still the sinuses will not heal, it is customar>' to push a 

 pointed red-hot iron to their bottom. This operation is often attended with 

 very good results, but must be very carefully and judiciously performed. In 

 those quittors, in which the pedal bone or the lateral cartilages have become 

 involved, the disease is consequently of a very grave nature, and it will be 

 necessary for the veterinarian to remove the altered structure. This serious 

 operation is fortunately one not frequently called for. 



TREAD. 



By the term " tread," we understand the infliction of a wound, caused by the 

 shoe of either fore or hind foot, upon the coronet of the opposing fore or 

 hind foot respectively. Tread is not a common occurrence, except in heavy 



