viii PREFACE. 



The necessity of long study in anatomy, 

 pathology, and the composition of drug?, to 

 qualify a practitioner in medicine, is universally 

 acknowledged*, and as the horse exists by 

 similar laws, and is subject to many of the dis- 

 eases incident to mankind, it cannot require 

 much penetration to discover that studies of the 

 same nature must be absolutely requisite to con- 

 stitute a good farrier. But if conclusions were 

 to be drawn from the basis on which the vete- 

 rinary system has hitherto rested, it would seem 

 that the science of farriery has been considered 

 as a natural gift, and not in the least dependant 

 on the tedious process of medical inquiry and 



'* Cicero, in his orations, makes the following just 

 observation: " IVTedico diligenti, priusquam conetur oegro 

 adhibere medicinam non solum morbus ejus cui mcdere 

 volet, sed etiam consuetudo valcntis, et natura corporis cog- 

 nosgcnda est," 



inves- 



