422 CORNS. 



the bars prominent, lie too frequently neglects to pare away tlie liorn in the 

 angle between the bars and the external crust ; or if he cuts away the 

 bars, he scarcely touches the horn at this point ; and thus, before the horse 

 has been shod a fortnight, the shoe rests on this angle, and produces corns. 

 The use of a shoe for the fore-feet, thickened at the heels, is, and especially 

 in weak feet, a source of corns, from the undue bearing there is on the 

 heels, and the concussion to which they are subject. 



The unshod colt rarely has corns. The heels have their natural power 

 of expansion, and the sensitive sole at this part can scarcely be imprisoned, 

 while the projection of the heel of the crust and the bar is a sufficient 

 defence from external injury. Corns seem to be the almost inevitable con- 

 sequence of shoeing, Avhich, by limiting, or in a manner destroying, the 

 expansibility of the foot, miist, when the sole attempts to descend, or the 

 coffin-bone has a backward and a downward direction, imprison and injure 

 this portion of the sole. This evil consequence is increased when the shoe 

 is badly formed, or kept on too long, or when the paring is omitted or 

 injudiciously extended to the bars. By this unnatural pressure of the 

 sole, blood is thrown out, and enters into the pores of the soft and diseased 

 horn which is then secreted ; therefore the existence and the extent 

 of the corn is judged of by the colour and softness of the horn at this 

 place. 



Corns are most frequent and serious in horses wdth thin horn and flat 

 soles, and low weak heels. And the cause in these cases is an external 

 one, namely, undue pressure from the heel of the shoe. But they are 

 found occasionally in high, strong, contracted feet, and in these they are 

 not produced by the heel of the shoe, but by the concussion produced by 

 the superincumbent weight jarring against the hard, thick, unnaturally 

 concave horny sole beloAV. They generally occur on the inside heel, from 

 its being more under the centre of gravity, and consequently having 

 greater weight thro^vn on that part. The method adopted by shoeing- 

 smiths to ascertain the existence of com by the pain evinced when they 

 pinch the bar and crust with their irons, is very fallacious. If the horn 

 is naturally thin, the horse will shrink under no great pressure, although 

 he has no com, and occasionally the bars are so strong as not to give way 

 under any pressure. 



The cure of old corns is difficult ; recent corns, however, will generally 

 yield to good shoeing. 



The first thing to be done is well to pare out the angle between the 

 crust and the bars. Two objects are answered by this : the extent of the 

 disease will be ascertained, and one cause of it removed. A very small 

 drawdng-knife must be used for this purpose. The corn must be pared out 

 to the very bottom, taking care not to wound the sole. It may then be 

 discovered whether there is only effusion of blood or matter underneath. 

 If this is suspected, an opening must be made through the horn, the 

 matter evacuated, the separated horn taken away, the course and extent 

 of the sinuses explored, and the treatment recommended for quitter 

 adopted. 



In bad cases a bar-shoe may be put on, so chambered that there shall 

 be no pressure on the diseased part. This may be worn for one or two 

 shoeings, but not constantly, for there are few frogs that would bear the 

 constant pressure of the bar-shoe : and tbe want of pressure on the 

 heel, generally occasioned by their use, would produce a softened and 

 Ijulbous state of the heels, that would of itself be an inevitable source of 

 lameness, 



Mr. vSpooncr, of Southampton, very properly states, that the coi'ns 

 occasionally fester, and the jiurulent matter -which is secreted, having no 



