EXOSTOSIS. 485 
points. But it remains powerless with old, large or eburnated exostosis. 
To relieve sidebones, with firing are associated a proper shoeing and 
grooving of the foot (Weber). Lameness is partly due to the pressure of 
the tissues situated between the horny structure and the bony growth. 
To relieve the pains and help the dilatation of the posterior parts of the 
foot, division of the foot is resorted to. Ordinarily three grooves per- 
pendicular to. the ground or slightly oblique downwards and backwards 
are made in the quarter, on the side where the growth exists. Another 
mode consists in making, one centimeter below the coronary band, an 
horizontal groove, from the heel to the anterior boundary of the sidebone, 
and two others converging slightly downwards : the superior has for object 
to permit the expansion of the coronary band. These grooves must not 
extend to the soft tissues, as they might bring on podophyllitis, necrosis, 
caries of the os pedis or a cartilaginous quittor. By daily applications of 
hoof ointment, tar or a dressing, the desiccation of the hoof and the 
formation of seams are prevented. Zundel, Humbert and others have 
recommended the thinning of the quarter with the drawing knife or the 
rasp; the effects are the same on the painful region, the results are good. 
Sidebones producing contraction of the plantar region, special shoes 
indicated against this ailment shall be applied. In general, the bar shoe 
is recommended, with paring of the heels and relieving the quarter from 
pressure on the diseased side. The shoeing of Coleman-Poret is also very 
advantageous. As soon as the inflammatory phenomena due to cauteriza- 
tion have passed off, it is indicated to use the animal to slow walking 
exercise. By degrees the horny box spreads, the pressure diminishes, and 
the lameness may disappear notwithstanding the fact that the tumor re- 
mains. When the sidebone is very large, if one will not resort to 
neurotomy, a portion of the quarter can be extracted, extending from an 
oblique line made in a direction backwards and downwards from the 
coronary band a little in front of the sidebone. After a few weeks, the 
animal is returned to work. The.foot spreads below the exostosis, the 
new-formed quarter does not press as painfully as the old one; the lame- 
ness diminishes and sometimes disappears. 
Extirpation is only practicable with sidebones and only in cases where 
the unossified part of the cartilage is affected with necrosis. Thin the 
quarter, isolate the coronary band on a level with the tumor as in the 
Operation for quittor, cut it at its base with the narrow drawing knife, . 
raise it, separate it from the tissues underneath, carefully avoiding the 
synovial cul-de-sac ; such are the various steps of the operation. Mangin 
has advised to divide the coronary band to operate more easily and to use 
a blunt bistouri to loosen the growth. The classic method is to be pre- 
ferred. 
