THEIR PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT. 41 



In cases like inflammation of the bowels, which is so dangerous and 

 rapid in its progress, tho aid of tho veterinary surgeon should be early 

 sought ; but if unattainable, the above will bo tho best treatment to adopt. 



P. 



False Quart er.— False quarter is absence of a portion of the hard 

 or outer horn, caused by the destruction of or injury to a part of tho 

 coronary substance which secretes the horn. It presents a gap or groove 

 running down from the coronet, which is only covered with a layer of soft 

 horn insufficient to protect the sensitive parts thus deprived of tbeir 

 natural strong hard covering, and rendering the foot liable to severe 

 accident, from the jarring caused by the horso in travelling ; and dirt 

 getting into the exposed spongy horn, irritation is set up, when it may 

 crack, and bleeding and discharge of matter follow. In this case the fleshy 

 part protrudes in form of fungoid granulations, and is apt to get pressed 

 between the edges of the separated hard horn, and in such case further 

 inflammation is excited and lameness ensues ; this state of the case calls 

 for rest, with fomentations, poultices, and other means for reducing local 

 inflammations. False quarter is more the consequence of other diseases, 

 as quittor, canker, &c, having destroyed the power of the coronary 

 substance to secrete horn, than a disease in itself ; but it is also caused 

 by the horse treading on the coronet, or from external injury from some 

 other cause, as the tread of another horse, a kick or bruise ; it renders 

 the horse liable to lameness and greatly weakens that side of the hoof. The 

 peculiar function of the coronary substance to deposit horn being 

 destroyed, art cannot restore it; and, therefore, treatment of its result — 

 the partial absence of outer hard horn, forming the groove called false 

 quarter — is necessarily palliative only. It is necessary, as far as possible, 

 to relieve the weakened quarter from pressure, and this can be done in 

 tho case of a strong foot by paring and levelling off the horn on each 

 side of the groove, so that direct contact and pressure of the shoe may 

 be avoided. This cannot be done with a horse having a thin hoof ; 

 but the bar shoe, which in such cases is needed, should have an indentation 

 corresponding to the diseased part, which will answer the same end. 

 The fissure itself should be kept filled with the hoof ointment prescribed 

 for brittle hoof (p. 15), pouring it on when slightly melted, when it will 

 harden and protect the part. This will require frequent renewal, and it 

 must not be done while there is any tenderness, bleeding, or discharge, 

 which, as before said, must be treated as other local inflammations and 

 sores, by poultices, &c, and a dressing of nitric acid lotion, carbolic acid 

 lotion (p. 17), or powered blue stone if required. 



Nitric Acid Lotion. — Pure nitric acid 2dr. ; water half pint. 



The bar shoe being worn, a horse with false quarter may be used, as he will 



