200 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



in the decreased amount of discharge from the opening in 

 the sole. 



Should pain unfortunately continue, the discharge re- 

 main, and a state of fever reveal itself, then it may be 

 understood that the suppurative process has not been 

 checked, that a portion of necrosed ligament, cartilage, or 

 bone still remains, which, surrounded as it is by pus 

 organisms and putrefactive germs, is sufficient to excite a 

 constant irritation and maintain the internal structures in 

 a state of infection. In other words, we have what is known 

 as a quittor. 



This will call for deeper operation. The horn of the 

 wall must 1)6 removed, and the diseased structures, whether 

 gangrenous keratogenous membrane, necrosed ligament, or 

 carious bone, carefully excised or curetted. This will be 

 better understood by a reference to the chapter on Quittor, 

 where the means for carrying out the necessary operative 

 measures will be found described in detail. 



Surgical Shoeing for Corn. — In the case of an ordinary 

 dry corn, where the injury has been definitely ascertained 

 to be accidental, no alteration in the shoeing will be neces- 

 sary. Where, however, the corn is attended with a more 

 than ordinary degree of inflammation, or where for some 

 reason or other excessive paring has been practised, then 

 it will become needful to shoe with a special shoe. The 

 object to be attained is the removal of pressure from that 

 portion of the wall next to the seat of corn. 



The most simple shoe for effecting this is the ordinary 

 three-quarter shoe. The only way in which this differs 

 from the ordinary shoe is that about an inch and a half of 

 that branch of the shoe adjoining the corn is cut off 

 (Fig. 102). If at the same time contraction of the heels 

 exists, then, perhaps, a better shoe is that known as the 

 three-quarter bar (Fig. 103). 



Or, if preferred, a complete bar shoe such as that 

 described for sand-crack may be used, and the upper 

 portion of the web in contact with the foot at the seat of 

 corn thinned out so as to avoid pressure on the wall at this 



