498 CHAPTER 65. 



The presence of a corn is easily recognised by a reddened appearance 

 of the sole in the angle above mentioned. The redness arises from 

 extravasation of the blood of the part. A similar appearance is found in 

 other parts of the sole when bruised or subjected to undue pressure. 



Corn is an injury produced by pressure, generally by continued pres- 

 sure on a sensitive part, i. e. on the sole of the above-mentioned angle, 

 which is not intended to bear any great pressure. Corn may also be the 

 result of a bruise. With good shoeing, corns ought never to occur in 

 good feet. When the shoe is so fitted, that it rests fairly on the crust and 

 on the bars, no undue pressure can come on the seat of corn. 



Of direct causes of pressure on the sole at the seat of corn the most 

 common are short shoes, the ends of which press on the seat of corn ; and 

 the shifting of shoes from bad fitting or from over-time. 



The indirect, but equally real and more common causes of this disease 

 will be found 1st, in the ordinary practice of rasping the crust, by which 

 it is rendered thin and insufficient to carry the superincumbent weight ; 

 2nd, in the removal of the bars, which jointly with the crust ought to 

 sustain the shoe at the heels ; 3rd, in the practice of paring out the seat 

 of corn, by which the sensitive sole becomes exposed to injury from 

 bruises and from the accumulation of dirt and gravel under the shoe in 

 the hollow so made ; and lastly, from lateral pressure on the seat of corn 

 from wiring in of the crust and bars, when the insensitive sole in the 

 angle between the crust and the bars is pared out. 



There is a predisposition to corns in flat feet and in feet where the 

 heels wire in, because with either of these conformations undue pressure 

 is liable to come on the seat of corn. Great care is needed in the shoeing 

 of such feet, and in some such cases it may not be possible to avoid the 

 occurrence of corns. 



1010. Treatment of Corns. 



The treatment of a corn in its early stage consists simply in removing 

 the cause, namely, undue pressure. In very slight cases, not causing 

 lameness, it will be sufficient to apply shoes somewhat longer than the 

 crust, and somewhat broad in the web at the heels, i. e. slightly projecting 

 over the crust and bars. 



But when lameness is present, the seat of the corn should be pared 

 out carefully and without injury to the crust or bars. After which a 

 J-shoe, or a shoe so narrow in the web at the heel that it may rest only 

 on the crust, should be applied. Either of these measures will remove 

 the cause, viz. pressure. The first-named remedy (J-shoe) is very easy 

 to apply. A farrier can .scarcely be so clumsy as to make a mistake. 

 The latter, which is perhaps the best, requires some skill and attention 

 on the part of the farrier. 



The common practice of applying a complete bar shoe with the view of 

 protecting the seat of the disease from bruises is objectionable, because 

 dirt and gravel are apt to lodge under the shoe in the hollow made by 

 the paring out ; and great and increased irritation may be thereby 

 occasioned. 



