except at the heel ; and corns result." The seat of corns is just that 

 part where the horny sole is thinnest, and consequently most liable to injury. 

 If the bars have been cut down, and the heels allowed to grow unduly long, 

 corns are more likely to be produced. It must, however, be mentioned that 

 corns are not unfrecjuently met with in feet in all other respects healthy ; 

 but in most instances they only appear as the result of defective methods of 

 shoeing. When the sole is very weak, or has been unduly thinned, corns 

 are naturally more liable to be produced. Sometimes owing to a space left 

 between the shoes and the horny heel, dirt insinuates itself, and pressing on 

 the seat of corn causes the appearance of these bruises. We have already 

 exposed that most pernicious and barbarous custom of stopping horses' feet 

 with deca)'ing matter ; and we only allude to it again, to state that by 

 macerating and weakening the horny sole of the foot, it thus renders it far 

 more liable to be injuriously affected by bad shoeing or fast trotting on hard 

 ground, or by any other direct cause. " Stopping " feet is therefore an 

 indirect cause of corns. It is, we wish to point out, not merely owing to the 

 fitting on of the seated shoe, which we have said is so frequently the cause 

 of corns, but also to other mistakes which the smith commonly makes, that 

 these bruises make their appearance. Not uncommonly he pares away the 

 bars, and by this practice, the foot tends to become contracted ; and the 

 pressure of the heels of the shoe falls upon the spot indicated as the seat of 

 •corn. Lastly, we may add that the use of calkins, and the practice of not 

 renewing the shoes often enough, are to be regarded also as occasional 

 factors in the production of corns. When a shoe is not removed as often as 

 is necessary, and is on the contrary allowed to w^ear down, it may be 

 removed from its original position, and press upon the seat of corn. 



A corn constitutes unsoundness, because, although it may not cause 

 lameness in all instances, or at all times affect progression, yet, until cured, 

 the animal may become so much worse, as to be wholly unfit for work. Rest 

 lor several days will often render the horse free from lameness for a time.' 

 As a rule, there will not be much difficulty in diagnosing a case of lameness 

 when dependent upon corns. When the horn at the seat of a corn is pared 

 away by the smith, a reddened patch becomes visible, and renders the 

 diagnosis certain. In some cases — and these are not uncommon — all that 

 can be discovered, besides the manifest lameness, is merely an increased 

 sensibility of the sole at the seat of the corn. There is no red patch of 

 effusion, for this necessarily depenc's upon actual rupture of some vessels of 

 the sensitive sole, consequent upon a severe contusion. As the smith pares 

 the sole still more, the reddened patch may be found to extend completely 

 into the quick ; or, on the other hand, it may be merely superficial. In the 

 former case the bruise is of recent origin, while in the latter it is of older 

 standing. 



We mentioned, in treating of inflammation, that serous fluid is poured 

 out of the little blood-vessels of the affected part. This is the case when the 

 sensitive sole is inflamed. A yellowish fluid oozes through the corn, and 

 moistens the horny sole around. Sometimes so severe are the inflammatory 



