98 



for contraction, he has acquired in the main all that is neces- 

 sary for the safe application of it to all the other diseases of the 

 foot. Some minor details only will have to be described as 

 applicable to each particular case. 



It is desirable in all cases where the foot is hard and unyield- 

 ing to immerse the foot or feet in a warm flax-seed poultice for 

 24 hours before operating; but this is not essential. The foot 

 can be prepared, the shoe attached, and the poulticing take 

 place afterwards, if certain exigencies, of time or other circum- 

 stances, do not admit of the opposite course. 



If the foot is in a fair condition for expanding, the foregoing 

 observations do not apply. 



PREPARATION OF THE FOOT. 



First, the old shoe being removed, be sure about the exist- 

 ence of corns. Sometimes they lie concealed, and if not de- 

 tected and disposed of, will occasion disappointment. Being 

 satisfied that there are no corns, and that the case is one of con- 

 traction only, proceed to examine the state of the quarters, as 

 to whether they are weak, thin, shelly, and brittle, or whether 

 they are strong, thick, tough, and sound, with reference to 

 their capacities for the reception of nails into their substance, 

 remembering that the shoe has not merely to be attached to 

 the quarters, but that the nails must grip them so firmly^ that 

 when the shoe is expanded the quarters will be expanded like- 

 wise in the same act. 



Passing the nails through the centre of the substance of the 

 wall is not sufficient, however high they may be driven, as 

 they are apt to burst out when force is applied to them. The 

 nail should be pointed fairly within the inner edge of the wall, 

 and take a short firm grip, the nails coming out not higher 

 than one inch from the shoe. Nothing short of this will be 

 sufficient for the purpose. If the capacity of the wall be 

 doubted to stand this kind of nailing, it is better to omit nails 

 in the quarters and apply a shoe with inside clips turned up at 

 the extreme ends of the shoe. 



In preparing the foot, the next point to consider is 



