228 



VETEEINAKY MEDICINE AND SUKGEKY. 



CORNS. 



Beflnition. — Corns are bruises of the sole, usually occurring in the 

 angle formed by the bars and the crust in front of the heel. They rarely 

 come on the hind feet. Corns probably are formed suddenly by a bruise 

 on the soft parts in the location named, and consist at first simply of 

 serum and lymjjh, or of exuded blood; very similar in nature to a blood 

 blister in the human skin. 



Etiology. — An indirect but common cause of corns is bad shoeing, 

 the practice of excessive filing of the crust, to make a good-looking foot, 

 and also the removal of the bars. In rare cases they may be caused by 



Fig. 120. 

 Method of finding a corn. 



treading upon a stone. Paring out the seat of the corn, by which the 

 sensitive sole becomes exposed to injury from bruises and from the accu- 

 mulation of dirt and gravel under the shoe, in the hollow so made, may 

 perpetuate the diflBculty. 



Symptoms. — Lameness, more or less pronounced. To find the ex- 

 act location of a corn, apply a pair of pincers to the hoof as shown in 

 Fig. 120, and ap])ly firm pressure from place to place until the flinching 

 of the horse shows the right spot has been found. 



Treatment. — Tlie treatment of a corn, in its early stage, consists 

 simply in removing the cause, which is almost always undue pressure of 

 the shoe. Mayhew divides corns into four kinds, viz., the old, the new, 



