134 



QUITTOR, OR FIBRO-CHONDRITLS. 



Cause. — This strange name, " quittor," was given by the 

 old farriers to a fistulous wound about the top of the hoof 

 or coronary band, while they were entirely ignorant of the 

 seat of the disease. Its situation is generally between the 

 hair and hoof, at the inside quarter or heel of the horse's 

 foot. The seat of injury, in the majority of instances, is the 

 plantar cushion or fatty frog, which is a fibro-cartilaginous 

 tissue ; and hence, when it is the subject of inflammation, it 

 is more properly called fibro-chondritis. The history of 

 these cases usually is that an animal has received a punc- 

 tured wound from some sharp substance, which has pene- 

 trated the frog and forced its way through the sensitive solg 

 into the fatty frog. When this is the history of the lesion 

 the product of the inflammation so formed has to force its 

 way upward and make an exit for its removal somewhere in 

 the neighborhood of the coronet. Before the products of the 

 inflammation have appeared at the top of the hoof there are 

 formed fistulous tracks in all directions through the soft 

 tissues w^ithin ; these are vulgarly called the " pipes," and 

 the opening at the top has received the euphonious name 

 of" quittor." 



This is not, however, the history of all cases of this kind. 

 It may result from a very bad corn, a tread on some sharp 

 substance that has extensively bruised the sensitive sole 

 without puncturing it ; or it may, in fact, be the result of 

 any injury that leads to the formation of matter which, by 

 neglect, accumulates within the hard hoof, and gradually 

 works its way out at the coronet. These fistulous openings 

 or pipes communicate with the ulcerated wound or quittor 

 that is observed above the coronary band. fl 



This hidden but extensive inflammation produces severe 

 and protracted lameness, by the destruction of the soft 

 tissues within ; and it is well if the periosteum or coffin bone 

 is not also involved in the disease. 



