606 
LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
case, the paring must be suspended, and the foot, after being 
immersed in a warm bath, be dressed with some astringent or 
mild escharotic — such as a solution of alum, or the sulphate of 
copper — for a day or two, which will dry the corn up before 
the shoe is re-applied. The paring of the corn being com- 
pleted, it is mostly advisable to generally thin the contiguous 
part of the sole as well, which will likewise tend to give it 
ease, though in the case of the flat foot but very little, and 
perhaps no such reduction of substance may be called for. 
The Shoe proper for a Foot with Corns must, be made 
to serve the purpose of protection to the corn-place, while it 
bears upon parts of the hoof which in no wise, either directly 
or indirectly, cause pain or uneasiness to the corn from the 
pressure they receive from it. A shoe may not positively press 
upon the corn -place, and yet occasion tenderness or lameness by 
bearing upon the junction of the wall and bar at a time when 
these parts are not in a condition, from their contiguity to the 
corn in the sensitive state it is left in after being pared, to 
endure it. At the same time, a shoe, having this unoffending 
bearing, must be so shaped that it defends the corn-place from 
contusion or other injury, from stones, gravel, dirt, & c. Pro- 
viding there be solidity and thickness and depth of wall enough 
to give it firm bearing, I know of no shoe better adapted to 
answer our purpose than Plomley’s broad- webbed one, made flat 
upon the foot-surfaces of the heels, or, if required, chambered out 
there. This shoe will afford the broadest cover and protection, 
and at the same time take such flat and solid bearing upon the 
heels as will render it impossible for the corn-place to sustain 
any pressure from it in the course of the limited time — say three 
or at most four weeks — any shoe ought to remain on a foot with 
corns. But when the heels of the hoof are weak and low, not 
projecting perhaps beyond the frog, while that body remains 
sound and prominent, a bar-shoe is to be preferred This shoe 
will, by taking a bearing upon the frog, not only save the heels 
from wear, but at the same time tend much to relieve the corn 
— or corns if there be two — by bearing but comparatively lightly 
upon the parts — the junction places of the wall and bars — so 
immediately contiguous to the corn-places. In fact, in a case 
where an ordinary shaped shoe does not relieve tenderness of 
going, a bar-shoe, of all others, is the most likely to answer. Be 
the horse, however, shod how he may, no shoe should be worn 
by him longer than he appears to go soundly, or at least pain- 
lessly in : from the moment any lameness or even tenderness 
becomes apparent, more than existed formerly or than we have 
reason under the circumstances to expect, the shoe ought to be 
taken off, and the foot inspected. The shoe may be found 
