614 OPEBATIONS ON THE FOOT. 



more resistance to the weight of the body. Sometimes the pro- 

 tecting effect of the shoe must be completed by the use of a plate 

 of gutta percha or leather between the foot and the shoe ; India rub- 

 ber does not answer, as by its elasticity it interferes with the re- 

 sistance of the shoe. It is absolutely necessary to preserve the 

 hoof in a sufficiently supple condition, to effect which tar, hoof 

 ointments and other greasy substances are used. Flaxseed meal, 

 poultices of cow manure and salt water, a damp bedding, tallow 

 in the hoUows of the heels, all are very good preventives and 

 even curative means, which a careful hostler will not neglect. 

 Paring the feet thin, as practiced by some, is very objectionable, 

 and is a serious obstacle to the extirpation of corns. The feet 

 should be pared as little as possible, especially at the heels or in 

 the lacunse. 



As for the curative treatment, there are, according to H. Bou- 

 ley, four indications to follow : First, remove the acting cause ; 

 second, treat the injury it has produced; third, relieve the pres- 

 sure upon the diseased region, until it has returned to its healthy 

 condition; fourth, prevent the return of the injury. 



The first indication is easy to fulfill with the accidental corn, 

 but often nearly impossible in that, due to a bad conformation of 

 the feet. The second indication varies according to the extent of 

 the disease. Generally it is advised to thin down the hoof at the 

 bruised part and its surroundings, so as to relieve the pressure on 

 congested or inflammed parts. Still, we are not in favor of too 

 much thinning of the hoof, and except under peculiar conditions, 

 would practice it very slightly. Even in the moist corn, we be- 

 lieve in lea^'ing to the hoof a certain protective thickness. The 

 pressure can be sensibly diminished by the application of chloro- 

 formed oil, or of tincture of creosote ; they very readily penetrate 

 the hoof, and act directly upon the inflamed parts. We believe 

 that excessive paring, the "cutting out of the corns," to use the 

 shoer's expression, is injurious, and predisposes to new corns, by 

 weakening the region and promoting a more rapid desiccation and 

 contraction of the hoof. In all cases of dry and moist corn, one 

 must avoid making the parts bleed, the exposure of the soft tis- 

 sues, and all unnecessary cutting. Thinning is necessary in sup- 

 purative corn, and has to be done over the whole extent of the 

 separation of the horn, and a wide channel of exit made for the 

 pus on the side of the sole. It is a wise plan not to remove the 



