The leading sign of quittor, before it breaks, is a large swelling at the coronet, attended with heat and excessive lameness. In cart-horses, it is usually present in the hind feet; but in the lighter species it more frequently occurs in the fore feet. It generally appears upon the inner side of the hoof, though, of course, it has often been witnessed upon the outer coronet. Quittor becomes a huge swelling before it breaks. The amount of tumefaction symbolizes the amount of anguish; it is, indeed, a most painful disorder.
A QUITTOR, AS IT DENOTES ITS EXISTENCE
BEFORE THE PUS ABSORBS ITS WAY
THROUGH THE CORONET.
A QUITTOR, AFTER THE PUS HAS FOUND AN
EXIT AT THE CORONET.
The animal, after the pus has found vent, becomes easier; fever departs; the appetite returns, and the enlargement greatly diminishes.
In the cure of a quittor, all depend upon the time during which the disease has been allowed to exist; if brought under notice at first, and from an examination a belief is confirmed that the sinuses are wholly superficial, no treatment is comparable to the plan of slitting them up, the method of doing which will be described in a subsequent chapter; this at once affords relief. The horse, which was limping lame, upon getting up puts the foot fearlessly to the ground, and trots sound.
If we have reason to believe the matter has burrowed inwardly, and that one or more sinuses have penetrated the cartilages and threaten the deeper-seated parts, still we should settle with the knife all those pipes which are superficial. This gives a better view of the structures supposed to be diseased; then, if among the matter thrown out by the healing wounds there is seen a speck or two of fluid, which, being gelatinous and transparent, looks dark among the opaque creamy pus, be sure there remains further work to be accomplished.
DIAGRAM.