pressure, but also to admit a picker to remove 

 dirt, which if not taken away would produce 

 the same effect as if the sole itself were to rest on 

 the shoe. 



But though by this means the crust is cer- 

 tainly brought to bear on the shoe in its whole 

 extent, and pressure on the sole is avoided ; yet 

 cutting away the sole must necessarily weaken it, 

 and by continually putting on the stretch the 

 bands which tie the bone of the foot to the crust, 

 and which sling or suspend it within the hoof, 

 make tliem less capable of resisting the constant 

 pressure downwards. 



Indeed, when a flat shoe is applied to a foot of 

 which the sole is much cut away every time of 

 shoeing, it will frequently happen that the sole 

 will gradually lose its natural hollowness, and 

 becoming fiat around, constitute what is usually 

 termed d. pumiced foot. But if a hollow or very 

 sloping shoe be employed, the hollowness of the 

 sole will become greater than natural, in conse- 

 quence of this part being forced upwards by the 

 crust pinching it on all sides, whilst the weight 

 of the body squeezes the lower edge of the foot 

 down the slope of the shoe. This practice of 

 cutting away the horny sole likewise, by de- 

 priving the sensible sole of a portion of its na- 



