576 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
certainly seems to me, that if by an operation a horse with a 
quittor can resume his work in from six to eight weeks, it makes 
no difference whether the case be old or recent, the indications 
are to operate. 
Why operate ? first, to relieve the trouble, then to stop ex¬ 
pense, and finally to relieve the horse from constant pain. 
Dr. Coates cites four of his cases as in draught horses. He 
operates and in eight weeks has his patients all at work, free 
from lameness and as good as ever. The matter of expense also 
enters into the question. If an owner has a horse with quittor he 
desires to get the horse back to his normal condition for work as 
soon as he can, and if the surgeon can by an operation have the 
horse resume his work in, say, two months, is it not better to 
operate and put the horse back to his work than to poultice and 
poultice or turn out, and at the end of six months be no nearer 
the end of treatment than when he began ? An owner with a 
horse laid up has either to buy or hire. If he is going to lay up 
his horse for six months he buys; if for six weeks he can afford 
to hire, and thus save himself the expense of keeping two horses 
and only having the use of one, or having a horse with no work 
for him to do. The question will be asked, would you operate in 
every instance ? Certainly not, but only in those cases where 
the indications are that a large portion of the cartilage is dis¬ 
eased, where the tracts are extended and where the chances are 
that the other tissues mav become involved. 
«/ 
Is it a painful operation ? There is no doubt it is painful, 
but it is an operation which when well done does not require a 
very great length of time, and the animal’s sensibility can be 
deadened either by the use of chloral or some other of the 
anaesthetics. 
It leaves only a simple wound to be cleansed, heals readily 
and, as far as the horse is concerned, does not interfere at all with 
bis future usefulness. 
There is in the hospital at present a trotting mare which some 
six weeks ago had a suppurative corn involving the carti¬ 
lage. She was treated outside by one of the profession, but about 
a week ago .vas sent to the hospital. She was operated on and at 
the time of going to press is doing well. 
