494 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 
as, for instance, the shoe with a high calk; but in such cases it is 
considered that the injuries liable to result from the use of calks are 
less serious than those which are sure to happen for the want of them. 
For a sound foot perfectly formed, a flat shoe, with heels less thick 
than the toe, and which rests evenly on the wall proper, is the best. 
In flat feet it is often necessary to concave the shoe as much as possi- 
ble on the upper surface, so that the sole may not be pressed upon. 
If the heels are very low the heels of the shoe may be made thicker. 
If the foot is very broad and the wall light toward the heels, a bar 
shoe resting upon the frog will aid to prevent excessive tension upon 
the soft tissues when the foot receives the weight of the body. A 
piece of leather placed between the foot aud shoe serves largely to 
destroy concussion, and its use is absolutely necessary on some ani- 
mals to enable them to work. 
Last among the preventive measures may be mentioned those which 
serve to maintain the suppleness of the hoof. The dead horn upon 
the surface of the sole not only retains moisture for a long time, but 
protects the living horn beneath from the effects of evaporation; for 
this reason the sole should be pared as little as possible. Stuffing the 
feet with flaxseed meal, wet clay, or other like substances, or damp 
dirt floors or damp bedding of tanbark, greasy hoof ointments, etc., 
are all means which may be used to keep the feet from becoming too 
dry and hard. 
As to the curative measures which are to be adopted much will 
depend upon the extent of the injury. If the case is one of chronic 
dry corn, with but slight lameness, the foot should be poulticed for a 
day or two and the discolored horn pared out, care being taken not to 
injure the soft tissues. The heel on the affected side is to be lowered 
until all pressure is removed and, if the patient’s labor is required, 
the foot must be shod with a bar shoe or with one having stiff heels. 
Care must be taken to reset the shoe before the foot has grown too 
long, else the shoe will no longer rest on the wall, but on the sole 
and bar. 
I believe in cutting moist corns out. If there is inflammation, 
cold baths and poultices should be used; when the horn is well 
softened and the fever allayed, pare out the diseased horn, lightly 
cauterize the soft tissues beneath, and poultice the foot for two or 
three days. When the granulaticns look red, dress the wound with 
oakum balls saturated in a weak solution of tincture of aloes or spirits 
of camphor and apply a roller bandage. Change the dressing every 
two or three days until a firm, healthy layer of new horn covers the 
wound, when the shoe may be put on, as in dry corn, and the patient 
returned to work. 
In suppurative corns the loosened horn must be removed, so that 
the pus may freely escape. If the pus has worked a passage to the 
