ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
Some Remarks on the Structure of the Horss’s Foor. 
By Joun Hepwortu. 
In comparing the anatomy of the anterior extremity of the 
horse with the human arm, its representative, I have come 
to the conclusion that the vascular do not secrete the horny 
laminze, the generally received opinion being that they do. 
In order to make myself clearly understood, it will be 
necessary to give a general outline of the anatomy of the foot. 
The external parts of the foot consist entirely of horn, 
constituting the hoof. The internal parts consist of bones, 
ligaments, and tendons, besides structures peculiar to the 
foot. 
The hoof, or insensible parts, is the covering nature has 
provided for the protection of the internal or sensible parts 
of the foot. 'To the common observer it appears to consist of 
one entire or indivisible case; but the anatomist finds, by 
subjecting it to maceration, that it resolves itself into three 
separate plieces—the wall, the frog, and the sole. The wall, 
or crust, 1s the part of the hoof which is visible while the foot 
stands upon the ground. On taking up the foot, we find the 
wall protrudes beyond the other parts all round, making the 
first impression on the ground, and evidently taking the 
largest share of bearing. Its origin is at the coronet (the 
crown of the hoof, where the hair terminates) ; from thence it 
descends in an oblique direction in a well-formed foot, at an 
angle of about forty-five degrees, to the bottom, where it em- 
braces the sole, and terminates in a circular projecting border. 
The anterior and lateral parts of the hoof are formed entirely by 
the wall; but at the posterior part, instead of the heels of the 
wall being continued one into the other, so as to complete 
the circle, they become inflected, first downwards, afterwards 
forwards and inwards, and are elongated in the latter direction 
VOL. V.—NEW SER. s 
