722 OPERATIONS ON THE FOOT. 



whose hoofs are soft. Quittor is more frequent in the fore than 

 the hind feet, the fibro-cartilages of the fore feet being more de- 

 veloped and more flexible, and because their heels are generally- 

 lower than in the hind legs. In some, it is more common on the 

 internal than the external quarters, while with us, it has been the 

 contrary. 



It is often a compUcation of suppurative com ; of punctured 

 wounds of the foot, of canker, of simple and sub-homy quittor, of 

 grease, etc., which are then the determining causes of the disease. 



YH. Treatment. — "When the disease is recent and the quittor 

 acute, and antiphlogistic treatment may be attempted and resolu- 

 tion looked for, baths and emolhents are generally beneficial. A 

 good blister has sometimes proved advantageous, and when it is 

 used, limited suppuration, with the formation of a simple slough, 

 may take place. 



If necrosis is well estabUshed, it is an indication of the neces- 

 sity of a recourse to more energetic treatment, in which case sev- 

 eral measures are recommended, including the actual and poten- 

 tial cautery and the removal of the cartUage. 



In actual cauterization, the necrosed spot is destroyed by a 

 cautery brought to a white heat, applied directly upon it, after it 

 has been exposed by a free incision. It is a simple treatment, and 

 one that has been successful in cases of posterior necrosis where 

 much fibrous tissue was diseased, and principally in young and 

 well-conditioned animals (Lafosse, Sr., Girard, Vatel, Mangin, 

 Eenault). StUl, this treatment not only often fails, but may even 

 become a means of irritation of the fibro-cartUage, and cause an 

 extension of the necrosis. (Hurtral, D'Arboval, Lafosse). In our 

 day, this treatment is almost entirely ignored by good practition- 

 ers, and the potential cautery more generally adopted. 



This had already been employed by hippiatrics. Solleysel 

 principally recommended the use of corrosive sublimate mixed 

 with aloes ; Girard, Barreyre and Bernard also mentioning it. 

 English veterinarians recommended their use very strongly. 

 (White, Blaine, Eiding, etc.). These practitioners all used the 

 soHd caustic, either in the form of trochiscus or in powder, and if 

 they obtained good results, it required a much longer time than 

 that required in our day by the use of the Uquid forms of caustics 

 which are at our command. With the soHd form, the action was 

 of limited extent, and scarcely more effective than that obtained 



