50 



SHOETXG. 



Fui. 522— Anterior Section of a Hind Hoo} Made 



Vertically across the Center, Showing the 



Thickness of Wall. 



very simple and practical method of opening the quarters for the 

 cure of contraction, which is used with marked success, and illus- 

 trated in Fig. 566, devised by Mr. David Roberge, a practical horse- 

 shoer of great ingenuity 

 and skill, located at No. 

 106 West Thirtieth 

 Street, New York City. 

 Various methods of open- 

 ing the heels on this plan 

 are given, which are from 

 French and other author- 

 ities, to show the great ef- 

 fort that has been made 

 by mechanical means to 

 overcome this difficulty. 

 But Mr. Roberge, by giv- 

 ing more length to the 

 spring, and simplifying its 

 construction, makes it all 

 that can be desired. The 

 spring is made of steel, the exact proportion and adjustment of 

 which is shown in Fig. 567. The wall is first weakened by sawing 

 down slightly between the heel and frog, when the spring is placed 



in position with so much force 

 given to it as may be thought 

 necessary to press the heels out- 

 ward as desired. The shoe is 

 then nailed on over it, as ordi- 

 narily done. The pressure is 

 gradual and constant, and must 

 prove just the_^thing where both 

 quarters will admit of equal 

 pressure. But should one quar- 

 ter be much more contracted or 

 unyielding than the other, it 

 does not seem to the writer that 

 it would work so well, because 

 the full pressure would then be 

 thrown on the weaker quarter. 

 But this, it is claimed, can be 



Fig. 523.— The Effect of Internal Inflammation, 

 Caused by Excessive Rasping and 

 Other Causes of Injury 



obviated by nailing the shoe well back on the quarter of the op- 

 posite side, which would prevent that side from being acted upon 



