80 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



and two surfaces ; by one edge it grows to the wall, and 

 the other, which is somewhat thinned, hangs loose and 

 floating within the cavity of the hoof. These are two 

 smooth lateral surfaces, and considering the magnitude 

 of the lamilla itself, of enormous extent, so much so that 

 it may be said almost to be constituted of superfices. 

 If we look carefully at the beautiful lamilla lining the 

 foot we must naturally be led to contemplate the 

 great and magnificent designs which Nature evidently 

 had in their formation and very beautiful adaptation, 

 viz., the production of ample surface within a small 

 space, an end that has been obtained by the 

 means of multiplication. The late well-known 

 Thomas Evans, LL.D., made a mathematical calcula- 

 tion of what the united superfices of these lamilla 

 amounted to, and it was found that they afforded an 

 increase of actual surface more than the single 

 internal area of the hoof would give by about twelve 

 times, or about two hundred and twelve square inches^ 

 being nearly one square foot and a-half. It is inflam- 

 mation among this network of delicate mushroom-like 

 fibres that we call laminitis, the destruction of which 

 by disease allows the coffin-bone to drop upon the 

 sensitive sole, the sole in its turn giving way and 

 becoming what is termed drop sole or pumiced feet. 

 The bars are processes ot the wall, inflected from its 

 heels obliquely across the bottom of the foot ; they 

 extend from the base of the heel into the centre of the 

 foot, between the sole and the frog. 1 hey are con- 

 tinuous with the wall or crust with which they form 

 acute angles ; anteriorly they stretch as far as the point 



