23S 



THE MOJ)ERN SYSTEM 



means of cure, which I shall endeavour to do, 

 and as corns are so prevalent and common, 

 shall commence with that subject first. 



ON CORNS. 



The term corns having- been fixed from time 

 immemorial, I am obliged to continue it, 

 though it be an erroneous one ; therefore, to 

 be thoroughly understood by my readers, I 

 make use of the old term. A corn in the 

 Horse originates in an injury done to one of 

 the most vascular parts; is itself equally vas- 

 cular, and instead of tending to increase the 

 cuticle («". e. the horn) over it, it derives its 

 principal character from being inimical to 

 every future growth of it. These very trou- 

 blesome affections arise from injury done to 

 the vessels of the sensible sole, exactly at the 

 surface of union between it and the horny sole, 

 whereby blood becomes extravasated within 

 the anojle of the inflexions of the heels ; that 

 is, between the outer crust and bars. Corns 

 appear in every instance the eff'ect of improper 

 pressure, by which the sensible vascular sole 

 becomes acted on between the horny sole and 

 the heels of the coffin-bone. This disease is 

 equally produced, whether the pressure arises 

 from the horn of the sole, or the horn of the 

 walls ; and it is from the pressure of the walls 

 of the heels bruising the sensible sole that 

 corns are so common to contracted feet, and 

 also to weak hoofs. It is also to the increased 

 weakness of the inner wall and heel of the 

 hoof, that corns are so much more frequent in 

 *he inner than the outer heel ; and from the 

 superior strength of the hinder heels arises 

 their little liability to them. But though the 

 contraction of the walls of the heels does often 

 occasion the complaint, yet it is much more 

 frequently the consequence of pressure of the 



sole, the very form of which shews that it 

 never was intended to be thus acted on ; for 

 the crust meets the ground, and the sole re- 

 cedes from it in every part. Consequently, 

 whenever pressure does take place on the sole, 

 it is unnatural, and produces injury. The 

 general mode in which injurious pressure is 

 applied to the sole, is either by an improper 

 form of shoe applied, or by not removing the 

 horn opposed to the seat of corns, or by neg- 

 lecting to renew the shoes at proper intervals ; 

 and to one or other of these errors most corns 

 may be attributed. 



Bad shoeing operates in various ways, but 

 in none more commonly than by the thickened 

 imequal heel of the shoe, wliich is in general 

 formed into a sort of clubbed end, that pre- 

 vents its presenting a level surface towards 

 the foot; on the contrary, a bulbous projec- 

 tion indents itself into the very part, as though 

 purposely placed there to produce this injury. 

 The custom also of making the seat of the 

 shoe slant, or level inwards, is, 1 believe 

 sometimes productive of corns ; but the heel, 

 for nearly an inch before its termination, 

 should be made perfectly flat, and the same 

 thickness as any other part of the shoe. 



Neglecting to prepare the foot for the shoe, 

 is also a fruitful source of corns ; for that part 

 of the horny sole wiiich fills up the acute 

 angle, between the crust and bars, the pres- 

 sure on which is so injurious, is in a state of 

 nature protected by the prominences of the 

 froo- and bars, as well as by the inclined di- 

 rection of the latter; but as artificial habits 

 alter the shape of the foot, this part becomes 

 exposed ; and, therefore, in preparing a foot 

 for the shoe, this angular portion should be so 

 pared as to remove it from contact with the 

 iron, without v>eakeniDg the horny coverir.j; 



