H U K T E R S. 315 



inveftigate caufes or effeds, farther than as 

 at firft light they affed the fuperficies of 

 their very {hallow comprehenfion jj fron^ 

 whence arifes the prevalent reiicdlion upon 

 the 'uja7it of bone, fo exceedingly common, 

 and fo frequently ill-founded, that at the 

 time of examination, the fubjedl fo difpa- 

 raged is fon letimes loaded like a cart horfe. 

 From this total ignorance of the anatomical 

 conformation has originated the erroneous 

 conjecture of fixing the bafis of ftrength in 

 the bony ftrudlure dnly^ without a contin- 

 gent reference or relative confiaeration to 

 the mufcular appendages, that, in fact, con- 

 ftitute the very main fpring of flrength and 

 adion* 



We are not at all difinclined to admit that 

 the greater the fulcrum or mechanical centre 

 of fupport, the more powerful fhould be the 

 component parts to confiitute the accurau- 

 lation of ftrength ; though this, like many 

 other rules fuppofed to be general, is liable 

 to frequent exception. Of this there are 

 diftin(ft proofs among the different degrees 

 of horfes, in the particular purpofes for 

 %vhich they are bred, or afterwards become 



appro- 



