246 HEPWORTH, ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE HORSE'S FOOT. 
with which they form acute angles; anteriorly, they stretch 
as far as the point of the frog, constituting two imner walls or 
lateral fences between that body and the sole. 
The sole is the arched plate entering into the formation of 
the bottom of the hoof, or, to adopt Sainbell’s definition, “it 
is that part which covers the whole surface of the foot, ex- 
cepting the frog.’ The superior surface is unevenly convex ; 
the inferior correspondingly coneave. The former is every- 
where pitted with numerous circular pores running in an 
oblique direction, the marks of which remain evident upon 
the inferior surface likewise. These pores are the impressions 
made in the soft horn by the villi of the sensitive sole, from 
which the horny matter is produced. They also form the 
bond of union between the horny and sensitive soles, which 
is of a nature so strong and resisting that it requires the 
whole strength of a man’s arm to effect their separation—an 
operation of a cruel description, that was wont to be practised 
in times past, under the fallacious notion that “drawing the 
sole” was extirpating the malady. 
I have quoted Mr. Percivall’s work on the ‘Anatomy of the 
Horse ;’ and having gone as far into it as will be sufficient to 
illustrate my subject, I shall now state what he says about 
the functions of the coronary substance and the sensitive la- 
mine. He says—‘‘ The wall is produced by the coronary 
substance. Its villi convert the blood circulating through 
them into a soft, pulpy, gelatinous matter, which, by exposure, 
becomes hard horn, descending from the villous point that 
produced it in the form of a tubular fibre down to the sole, 
&c. The sensitive laminz make no addition to the substance 
or thickness of the wall, they simply produce the horny la- 
mine, arranged along its interior; as one proof of which, the 
wall measures as much in thickness at the place where it 
quits the coronet as it does at any point lower down. Other 
demonstrations of this fact come every day before such prac- 
titioners as have to treat canker, sand-erack, quittor, and other 
diseases of the foot.” 
As my remarks will be chiefly directed to the lamine, I 
would beg particular attention to one or two points; one is, 
“that the horn is protruded beyond the sole, and receives 
the principal weight of the animal ;”’ the other is, “ that after 
the cruel operation of the old farriers, of drawing (removing) 
the sole,” the horse was still able to walk, the weight being 
supported upon the inferior border of the crust, showing that 
the animal was actually suspended by the laminz. Some 
horses weigh a ton, and must in walking support nearly half 
their weight on each foot alternately; and this we might have 
