CORNS. 473 



This being done, procure some soft chamois leather, and cut 

 with your wadding-punch several pieces of it ; through the 

 centre of these pieces punch again another hole still smaller 

 with a large-sized shoemaker's punch; this hole should be about 

 the size of the corn we propose to operate on. 



These pieces of chamios may now be stuck together with a 

 little thin glue or any other kind of strong paste, and as many 

 thicknesses used as will be necessary to protect the corn from 

 the pressure of the boot when it is laid over it. The under 

 surface, or that part of the chamois-pad to be applied around 

 the corns, should be spread with diachylon-plaster (to be ob- 

 tained from any apothecary), and, when warmed at the fire, is 

 to be nicely adjusted over the corn in such a manner that the 

 hole in its centre will come immediately over the corn, and 

 thus protect it entirely from the direct pressure of the boot, and 

 consequently permit the patient to walk with ease. This appli- 

 cation will oftentimes not require readjusting for several days, 

 and if persevered in for a short time, the corn will entirely dis- 

 appear. If the corn is between the toes, something of the same 

 sort must be contrived for its relief. We suffered for several 

 months with one of these formations in this situation, and we 

 must confess that the treatment of it tried our patience and 

 exhausted nearly all our skill before our efforts were crowned 

 with success. We have heard of many empirical and old 

 women's applications for the cure of corns, but do not believe 

 that any one of them ever performed a cure, if the primary 

 cause of the deformity was not first removed, that is, " the tight 

 boot." This being done, any one of them may without diffi- 

 culty effect a speedy cure. 



The following recipe, picked up we know not where, we have 

 used successfully on several occasions in the cure of corns, and 

 therefore can recommend it with some degree of confidence : 

 The corn should be pared as close as possible, and the chamois- 

 pad applied as above directed, and the mixture put on with a 

 camel-hair pencil, every other evening, for a week or ten days ; 

 the pad should then be removed and the foot soaked in hot 

 water, and the corn again pared of all the softened cuticle that 

 will come off" without using any great effort or producing pain ; 

 the pad may be again applied and the mixture used as before. 

 This will generally be sufficient to remove the enemy. 



