ANATOMY OF THE HORSE'S FOOT. 17 



large majority of cases the chronic inflammation that re- 

 mains produces serious alterations in the structure and 

 formation of the hoof, leading to more or less lameness 

 and diminished utility. 



Besides entering into the formation of these leaves, 

 this membrane covers the other parts of the foot within 

 the hoof, as a sock does the human foot, and endows it 

 with a high degree of vitality and secretory power ; it 

 overspreads the coronary and plantar cushions, as well as 

 the sole of the pedal bone, and its surface in these parts 

 is thickly studded with myriads of tufts or " villi," which 

 give it the appearance of the finest Genoa velvet. These 



Fig. 3.— Sens i t ive Sole of Hobse's Foot. — a, Cartilaginous bulbs of the heels, cov- 

 ered by sensitive membrane ; &, inflexion of the coronary cushion ; c, middle cleft 

 or lacuna ; d d, plantar laminae ; e, limit between the coronary cushion and plantar 

 laminae; ff, branches of the plantar cushion; g g g g, termination of the laminae in 

 villi; h 7i, sensitive membrane of sole covered with innumerable fine tufts or villi ; 

 «", prolongation of the coronary cushion into the lateral lacuna. 



minute processes vary in length from one-eighth to more 

 than one-fourth of an inch, and are best observed when a 

 foot, from which the hoof has just been removed by mace- 

 ration, is suspended in clear water. Examined with the 

 microscope, they are found to be merely prolongations 

 from the face of the membrane, each composed of one or 

 two minute arteries, which branch off into an exceedingly 

 fine net-work, and end in hair-like veins ; a nervous fila- 

 ment has also been traced into the interior, so that these 



