HUNTER ON CORNS. 



101 



sition in the nerves. Treatment : The 

 first appearance of a cure is a recovery of 

 strength, as weakness is a predisposing 

 cause ; and the first indication should 

 be to strengthen the system. I should 

 recommend every thing to produce ex- 

 treme external cold, as cold applications, 

 consisting of snow with salt to the part 

 affected, and the patient should be put 

 into an ice-house for a time, or sent to a 

 cold climate as soon as possible. I know 

 of no internal medicine." 



SUB-CARBONATE OP IRON IN WHOOPING 

 COUGH. 



In the November number of the Dub- 

 lin Journal of Medicine, Dr. Lombard, 

 of Geneva, announces that he found the 

 remedy a specific in a late epidemic at 

 Geneva He pushed the medicine to 

 doses of tiventy-four, and even thirty-six 

 grains a day, in young children, and the 

 result of his experience was, that it enjoys 

 a remarkable property to make the fits 

 less violent, and diminishes their num- 

 ber, and after a certain number of days 

 to cure entirely the whooping-cough. — 

 Medical Journal. 



HUNTER ON CORNS. 



The cuticle admits of being thickened 

 from pressure in all parts of the body ; 

 hence we find, that on the soles of the 

 feet of those who walk much, the cuticle 

 becomes very thick ; also on the hands of 

 laboring men. We find this wherever 

 there is pressure, as on the elbow, upper 

 part of the little toe, ball of the great toe, 

 &c. The immediate and first cause of 

 this thickening would appear to be the 

 stimulus of necessity given to the cutis 

 by this pressure, the effect of which is an 

 increase of the cutis, and a saculus is of 



sure for salutary purposes, but it is also 

 carried to disease. A corn is a thicke'i" 

 ed cuticle arising from external pressure* 

 which is preternatural and continued. — 

 Uncommon preternatural pressure on the 

 surface, must always affect the cuticle 

 more or less, producing a disposition in 

 it to guard itself: but pressure is capable 

 of producing anotlier effect, which is ac- 

 cording to the amount of pressure. When 

 applied in a moderate degree, it gives a 

 disposition to the cutis to continue the 

 growth of the cuticle, forming layer upon 

 layer. By this continuation of growth 

 the cuticle becomes thicker, but if the 

 pressure becomes too violent, then a dis- 

 eased increase of the cuticle takes place, 

 commonly in a very small portion of the 

 part pressed, often in a point. Tliis thick- 

 ened part being pressed from without, 

 commonly sinks its own thickness into 

 the cutis, which is the cause of the pain, 

 and troublesome symptoms. The cuticle 

 being formed in layers, peals off in lay- 

 ers, and if inflamation attacks the cutis 

 underneath, this takes place, and hence 

 the term onion, which has been applied 

 to corns. There is often a sort of joint 

 formed by a saculus mucus under the 

 cutis, allowing of motion in the corn. If 

 this inflames and suppurates, a cure is 

 often effected. When corns are of long 

 standing and run pretty deep, they gen- 

 erally produce a degree of indolence in 

 the healthy action of the parts pressed 

 on, which makes the cure tedious. The 

 cure of corns is of three kinds, viz : natu- 

 ral, palliative, and radical. The first is 

 by removing the primary cause, or pres- 

 sure ; which is done by leaving off" shoes, 

 or by introducing a soft substance, as 

 plaster, between the corn and shoe. Two 

 plasters are necessary, one with a hole 

 opposite to the corn, and another to be 



ten formed at the root of the great toe, 



between the cutis and the ligaments of I applied over this; and these should be 



the joints, arising from the same cause, to 'continued as long as the cause is continu- 



guard the ligaments below. Sometimes led; leaving off" the pressure is the best 



when the pressure is uncommonly great, j mode, and then the effects are easily re- 



inffamation takes place in this part, espe- : moved. 



cially if there are corns; the saculus The paliative consists in removing as 



suppurates and opens internally, and this; much as possible the external surface, 



forms what I believe is called a bunion. 

 The saculus then closes again, and leaves 

 the parts much as they were before. The 



cuticle is not only thickened from pres- off" as much as possible of it. It is diff'.r 



which relieves the pressure. This is done 

 by holding the corn half an hour in warm 

 water, when it swells, and then paring 



