An essay on the canker and corns of horses' feet / [Bracy Clark].

  • Bracy Clark
Date:
1822
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the canker and corns of horses' feet / [Bracy Clark]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    flammation pain and bruises. Clenching the nails too forcibly near the heel, so as to induce more pressure there than at the toe, would also do the same thing. If this reasoning, therefore, be true, the Corn arises from the weak- ness and insufficiency of the foot to bear the pressure of a nailed shoe, or from partial and ill disposed pressure in the strong feet, or improper and too close paring: therefore, the ancients, who, we believe, knew nothing of this nail shoeing, had not their horses subject to this disease; and such, on examining their writings, turns out to be the fact, though they have described, and often most truly, the other diseases of the horse. The “ Pulmunculus ad aperturam” of Vegetius, lib. ii. cap. 56, has some of the characters of the Corn; but it is not clear whether oxen or horses were the objects of it, and he recom- mends unsoleing for it: whatever it is, it was probably a disease arising from a weak heel, which, by long journeys and rough roads, might be so bruised, as to bring on similar consequences. Having described the appearance of the Corn and its causes, we have now to consider the remedy, first observing that prevention which is ever the wisest line of conduct, should be our especially aim, and this I should propose to be done by always keeping the inner heel easy, by being forced downwards by a blow of the hammer out of the plane of the rest of the upper surface of the shoe. Where the bruised heel has taken place, the first and most natural suggestion is to remove the shoe, and take away all the red diseased horn with the drawing-knife, and make the shoe so that on the re-ap- plication of it there shall be no pressure at all upon this part, and admitting of a new growth not subject to external pressure. If the horse is turned to grass during its growth, it will in general grow down quite perfect: if the disease however, has been of any duration, it is apt to return, if the smith brings only the ordinary pressure of a shoe upon it; and this takes place sometimes by degrees, and not perhaps at the first shoeing, which encourages him to go on till the effect is felt, and first tenderness and afterwards lameness ensue, or the parts fester if more severe pressure has been applied according, to