302 Notices respecting New Booki. 



dedly claims not only the praise of every professional man, but 

 of the public at large, 



"After a number of successful cases resulting from this opera- 

 tion, there were persons that attempted to take away the merit of 

 the discovery from Mr. Sevvell, by stating that Mr. Moorcroft had 

 performed the operation twenty years ago. Admitting that as 

 fact, what does it show ? That no beneficial result originated horn 

 Mr. Moorcroft 's attempt; for if there had, we should have heard 

 of it either from him or his successor. It therefore appears, that 

 if Mr. Sewell had not shown its utility, we should never have heard 

 of Mr. Moorcroft having performed it. I have also heard Profes- 

 sor Coleman say that he performed the operation more than twenty 

 years back ; but when he said so, he by no means intended to les- 

 sen the credit due to Mr. Sewell; on the contrary, he imputed 

 blame to himself for not persevering in it. I have heard there are 

 other persons who have attempted to insinuate a sort of claim as 

 being the suggestors of this operation. They are, however, in my 

 opinion, all without any foundation in truth. I have considered 

 it necessary to make these remarks, to oppose any insidious at- 

 tempts to rob Mr. Sewell of the fame he has so justly acquired. 

 Some evils certainly attend the performance of this operation ; but 

 1 look at them as I should on the explosion of a powder-miU, a 

 steam «ngine, a gas apparatus, or any serious evil which may occa- 

 sionally attend any useful and important invention; and however 

 such accidents may be lamented, powder and gas will be made, 

 and steam applied as a mechanical power. 



" The fair way of balancing the account is, to put the evils in one 

 scale and the advantages in the other, when it will appear which 

 preponderates ; and as far as my observation goes, and from all 

 the information I have, it is greatly in favour of the latter. The 

 evils I allude to are the loss of hoofs, consequently a loss of the 

 animal. Two cases which occurred at the Royal stud may serve 

 to illustrate others : a mare seven years lame, and another five, 

 were operated on for experiment. They both became sound; but 

 about nine months after the operation, there appeared in one case 

 a trifling separation between the horny and sensible sole at the toe. 

 This increased daily, notwithstanding all my endeavours to sub- 

 due inflammation ; it then extended to the coronet, and at this 

 there was considerable inflammation and swelling of the leg : the 

 separation increased round the coronet, and in a short time there 

 was a separation between the horny and sensible laminae. I should 

 have rather said insensible laminae, as there was not the least sen- 

 sation in the foot at this time. In this state the coffin bone was 

 let through the hoof, and was fractured in many pieces. The 

 other case was very similar to this, and 1 havejieard of .other jciis^s, 



where 



