Notices respecting New Books, ixf 



structure, destroying the continuity of the horny circle, 

 contributes to divide equally the pressure on all parts of the 

 hoof. The cleft of the frog, which keeps the foot from 

 slipping, and also from too great condensation of the horn 

 by pressure, is prevented from rupturing by a stout cone of 

 horn passing directly from it into the sensitive frog. This 

 cone is quite as hard as the exterior horn, and thus obviates 

 the tendency to division which exists in the horse's foot as 

 well as in cloven-footed animals. The destruction or rup- 

 ture of this cone becomes the source and cause of the dis- 

 ease called the running thrwA ; it splits or cracks from 

 whatever cause : the consequence is that extraneous sub- 

 stances introduce themselves, and these are followed by 

 ulceration and discharges of matier. Mr. C. traces the va- 

 rious appellations which the frog has received in different 

 nations. The Latins call ufiirca, the French lafojtrcliettef 

 the fork ; and once in Vegetius it is called pendiginem, 

 apparently from its hanging from the roof of the sole. The 

 Italians have no proper name for this part, as pasf.oja is the 

 pastern, and tue/lo, or root of the nail, precisely suits what 

 the author calls a " coronary frog band ;" a circle envelop- 

 ing the upper part of the hoof adjoining the hair. The 

 Spaniards call it ranilla or little frog, but the Portucrucsc 

 have no distinct term for it. The Greeks termed it -x^-Ki^Mv 

 or swallow. The origin of the terms running thrush is thus 

 traced: " Fiirca, in French yb«7T/!^, and its diminutive 

 Jvurc/iette; this contracted became the running foiirclie ; 

 and thence we find about the days of Elizabeth, as in Blund- 

 ville and other writers of that period, running f rush ; and 

 subsequently in James's reign, on the establishment of 

 horse-races, and the prevailing influence of the jockeys, 

 who not finding in iheir vocabulary of English words such a 

 one asyjws/z, declared it must mean a thrush; and ^.running 

 thrush it has ever since been called by the whole kmg- 

 dom." 



The horny heels, sole, wear of the hoof, and its bearino-i 

 on the ground, are all examined with eare, and many im- 

 portant facts and circumstarK:es are suggested, which we 

 ho|)e will not be overlooked by the thinking part of horse- 

 men. But the first and leading fact is the unreslraintd 

 growth of the hoof, which require^ five years before bein"- 

 iron-bound, instead of two or three as is too common. 

 *' The horse," says the author, " like other large animals, 

 IR »low in acquiring maturity, and like them is not very 

 short-lived. Smne celebrated writers have considered the 

 natural period of his life aboul-fifty years. This was be- 

 fore 



