DISEASES OF THE LATERAL CARTILAGES 371 



to an abnormal activity of bone-forming cells. The cartilage 

 is invaded, and the side-bone formed (see Fig. 118). 



Treatment. — In the ordinary way the ' treatment ' of side- 

 bone is a thing but rarely mentioned. The explanation 

 lies, of course, in the fact that side-bones are so rarely the 

 cause of lameness. When lameness does occur with a side- 

 bone, and we have reason to believe that the said side-bone 

 is the cause of the lameness, it is well before talking of 

 treatment to question ourselves thus : Tn what w^ay does 

 the side-bone cause lameness ?' The now generally-accepted 

 answer to that query is the explanation put forward several 

 years ago by Colonel Fred Smith — namely, that the pain, 

 and therefore the lameness, was due to the compression of 

 the sensitive laminae between the ossified and enlarged 

 cartilage and the non-yielding and often contracted wall of 

 the quarters. That, in fact, constitutes the basis upon 

 which Smith's operation for side-bone (that of grooving the 

 wall of the quarters ) is founded. 



Before describing the operation, however, we may say 

 that we are now able to understand that older operators 

 who claimed success for other methods of treatment, were 

 to a very great extent justified in so doing. 



For instance, take the combined treatments of firing and 

 blistering, and the use of a bar shoe. Here the beneficial 

 action of the cautery and the blister may be largely prob- 

 lematical. The bar shoe, however, would be almost certain 

 to give good results. Frog-pressure with the ground would 

 be again restored, and the contraction of the heels removed. 

 Pinching of the sensitive structures would be diminished, 

 and the lameness cured. 



Take, again, the treatment of ' unsoling.' It was bar- 

 barous, we know — barbarous, because unnecessary and 

 easily avoidable. It was practised, however, certainly very 

 little more than two decades ago, and practised by men of 

 standing in the profession. Without dragging the case to 

 light again by mentioning the names of those concerned, 

 we may mention that not many years ago a highly respected 

 member of the profession was, at the instigation of the 



