On the General Treatment of the Feet. r5f 



of the hoof, and by rendering rt brittle to produce those fissures in it 

 called Sand-cracks, which often prove very difficult to cure. Now, 

 those who are advocates for the use of oil to the Feet of Horses^ act 

 in the very teeth of their own principles, when they apply it with a 

 view of softening- and nourishing, (as their phrase is) the horn of the 

 Foot. The fact is, that oil has no power in the way of softening- 

 horn, in the smallest degree, and the practice of comb-makers', and 

 all other artificers, who use that material in their business, is, to 

 employ warm water, or the vapour of water, in order to produce the 

 softening effect upon it. But it may be objected to me, perhaps, 

 that the facts which I have adduced, supply at best but a negative 

 proof, that the practice of oiling is injurious to the Feet of Horses, 

 inasmuch, as none of a positive kind have been furnished, of its 

 rendering the hoof either brittle or hot. And, as this subject hath 

 given occasion to much controversy, and seems in general to be but 

 very imperfectly understood, (whilst at the same time it appears to 

 nie, to be of the greatest importance in the treatment of the Feet ol' 

 Horees,) I sliall prefer subjecting myself to the charge of too much 

 diffuseness, rather than that of too great conciseness, in the disciissiop. 

 of it. In answer therefore, to the latter objection, I will very readily 

 admit that oil communicates neither heat nor brittleness by any posi- 

 tive quality of its own, whilst at the same time it becomes the mean? 

 both of heating and hardening the hoof, by confining the heat of 

 the living parts, that are within the horny b®x. For, all the coarser 

 oils become converted into a kind of varnish, when applied to the 

 Foot of the living Horse in the course of a few hours, in conse- 

 quence of the speedy evaporation of the thinner parts of the oil, and 

 its absprption of oxygen fiom the atmosphere. In this way, therefore^ 



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