394 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



serves to destroy much of the offen!?ive odor. The diseased portions 

 of horn are to be carefully removed -with sharp instruments, until only 

 healthy horn borders the affected parts. The edges of the sound horn 

 are to be jDared thin, so that the swollen soft tissues may not overlap 

 their borders. With shai-p scissors cut off all the prominent points on 

 tlu^ soft tissues, shorten the -walls of tlie foot, and nail on a broad, 

 phiin shoe. The foot is now ready for the dressing's, and any of the 

 many stimulating and drying remedies may be used; but it will be 

 necessary- to change frequently from one to another, until tinally all 

 may be tried. 



The list from which a selection may be made comprises wood tar, 

 gas tar, petroleum, creosote, phenic acid; sulphates of iron, copper, 

 and zinc; chloride of zinc, bichloride of mercury, calomel, caustic soda, 

 nitrate of silver, chloride of lime; carbolic, nitric, and sulphuric acids. 



In practice I prefer to give the newh' shod foot a bath for an hour 

 or two in a solution of the sulphate of iron, made by adding 2 ounces 

 of the powdered sulphate to a gallon of cold water. When the foot 

 is removed it is dressed with oakum balls, dipped in a mixture made 

 of Barbados tar, 1 part, oil of turpentine, 8 parts, to which, is 

 slowly added 2 parts of sulphuric acid, and the mixture well stirred 

 and cooled. The diseased parts being well covered with the balls, a 

 pad of oakum, sufficiently thick to cause considerable ]:)ressure, is 

 placed over them, and all are held in place by pieces of heavy tin 

 fitted to slip under the shoe. Tlie whole foot is now incased in a 

 boot or folded gunny sack, and the patient turned into a loose, dry 

 box. The dressings are to be changed daih'- or even twice a da}', at 

 first. When they are removed, all pieces of new horn}' matter which 

 are now firmly adherent must be rubbed off with the finger or a tent 

 of oakum. As the secretion diminishes, dr}- powders may prove of 

 most advantage, such as calomel, sulphates of iron, copper, etc. The 

 sulphates should not be used pure, but are to be mixed with powdered 

 animal charcoal in the proportion of one of the former to eight or ten 

 of the latter. When the soft tissues are all horned over, the dress- 

 ings should be continued for a time, weak solutions being used to 

 prevent a recurrence of the disease. If the patient is run down in 

 condition, bitter tonics, such as gentian, may be given in 2-dram 

 doses, twice a day, and a liberal diet of grain allowed. 



A corn is an injury to the living horn of the foot, involving the 

 soft tissues beneath, whereby the capillar}' blood vessels are ruptured 

 and a small amount of blood escapes, which, by permeating the horn 

 in the immediate neighborhood, stains it a dark color. Jf the injury 

 is continuously repeated the horn becomes altered in character, and 

 the soft tissues may suppurate or a horny tumor develop. Corns 



