FAULTY CONFOEMATION 145 



commences. The frog is raised from the ground, and the 

 whole of the weight thrown on to the wall. The heels, 

 already weak and inclined to turn in, are unable to bear 

 the strain. They turn in, and contraction commences. 

 This ' turning in ' of the heels is favoured by the undue 

 obliquity of the wall. At the same time, the sole being 

 archless, a certain amount of elasticity is lost. The weight 

 is thrown more on to the heels, and the os pedis slightly 

 descends, rendering the flatness of the sole even more 

 marked than before. With the loss of elasticity of the sole 

 concussion makes itself more felt. The animal is easily 

 lamed, bruised sole becomes frequent, and corns sooner or 

 later make their appearance. 



Treatment. — Flat-foot is incurable. All that can be done 

 is to pay careful attention to the shoeing, and so prevent 

 the condition from being aggravated. In trimming the 

 foot the sole should not be touched ; the frog, too, should 

 be left alone, and the wall pared only so far as regards 

 broken and jagged pieces. 



The most suitable shoe is one moderately seated. If the 

 seating is excessive, and bearing allowed only on the wall, 

 there is a tendency for the wall to be pushed outwards, and 

 for the sole to drop still further. On the other hand, if 

 the seating is insufficient, or the web of the shoe too wide, 

 and too great a bearing thus given to the sole, then we get, 

 first, an undue pressure upon the last-named portion of 

 the foot a bruise, and, finally, lameness. The correct 

 bearing should take in the whole of the wall and the whole 

 of the white line, and should just impinge upon the sole. 

 Above all, the heels of the shoe should be of full length, 

 otherwise, if the shoe is worn just a little too long, its 

 heels are carried under the sole of the foot, and by pressure 

 there produce a corn. 



If, with these precautions in shoeing flat-foot, tenderness 

 still persists, a sole of leather or gutta-percha must be used 

 with the shoe. 



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