DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 329 



CHAP. LVI. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 



Corns. 



This is a very common and a veiy troublesome disorder, and 

 may truly be said to be often occasioned by the smith, being 

 generally in consequence of bad shoeing. Corns most commonly 

 happen in white feet, with weak low heels ; but they are too 

 common in feet of all colours. They are occasioned by the 

 pressure of the heel of the shoe, either by its bearing directly on 

 the sole when it is too thin to bear the pressure, or by its forcing 

 the heel of the crust inwards. In this way the sensible sole is 

 bruised, the small blood vessels ruptured, and the blood pene- 

 trates into the pores of the horn, causing the dark red appearance 

 observable on removing the shoe, and scraping off the surface 

 of the sole at the part marked del, fig. 1. page 338. This bruised 

 part is exceedingly tender, and incapable of bearing the pressure 

 of the shoe, and so are the crust and bar on each side of it. 



In the treatment of this complaint, therefore, all the parts must 

 be so cut down, crust, bar, and sole, situated behind and on each 

 side the part marked d, fig. 1. page 338., that Avhen a bar shoe is 

 applied, it may be full half an inch distant from the heel. In 

 this way a horse will be able to do his work, provided the shoe 

 is removed, and the heel pared down as often as is necessary, 

 and a little caustic, such as buttyr of antimony, applied with a 

 feather. As in this case the frog will be constantly receiving 

 considerable pressure from the bar shoe, it is necessary to take 

 care that the heels are not too thick and inflexible, in which case 

 it is necessary to rasp them ; and whenever there is a morbid 

 degree of heat in the feet, or dryness, they should be kept con- 

 stantly moist and cool in the stable, either by poultice, or by 

 several folds of old woollen wrapped round the coronet, and kept 

 constantly wet. The common pi-actice of paring out the corn, 

 and leavino; the bar and crust to be in contact with the heel of 

 the shoe is doing no good ; nor would it afford even temporary 

 relief, if the shoe were not bent up, or made to bear off that 

 quarter a little, as they term it ; yet, after riding a few miles, 

 the shoe is sui'e to yield to the horse's weight, and bear upon 

 the tender heel. It is thus that corns are made so troublesome 

 as we find them, and many horses are rendered nearly unser- 

 viceable, or absolutely ruined, by this improper treatment. 

 Matter is often formed within the heel from this sort of manage- 

 ment, and breaks out at the coronet, frequently doing great 



