Sensible of a benignant persistent ache in his footsoles he extended his foot to one side and observed the creases, protuberances and salient points caused by foot pressure in the course of walking repeatedly in several different directions, then, inclined, he disnoded the laceknots, unhooked and loosened the laces, took off each of his two boots for the second time, detached the partially moistened right sock through the fore part of which the nail of his great toe had again effracted, raised his right foot and, having unhooked a purple elastic sock suspender, took off his right sock, placed his unclothed right foot on the margin of the seat of his chair, picked at and gently lacerated the protruding part of the great toenail, raised the part lacerated to his nostrils and inhaled the odour of the quick, then, with satisfaction, threw away the lacerated ungual fragment.
"Ulysses"
James Joyce
From a knife to a toenail, they was nothing that Levine couldn't use in a fight.
"Gunman's Reckoning"
Max Brand
An ingrowing toenail will not infrequently give so much discomfort to the well knee and hip as to make the patient sure that there must be some rheumatic or other condition at work in these joints.
"Psychotherapy"
James J. Walsh