THE HOESE. 



21 



belonging to the inner part, which is the 

 beginning of the wall itself; the external 

 edge to the white band by which the other 

 is embraced, and to which Mr. Clark has in 

 particular drawn our attention, under the 

 appellation of Coronary Frog-band. This 

 covers the proper or veritable coronary bor- 

 der of the hoof; having, through its fibres, 

 which are very fine, a sort of dove-tailed 

 connection with it. As it recedes backward, 

 it grows broader to that degree, that its 

 breadth at length becomes doubled ; being 

 about half an inch broad in front, and one 

 inch behind. It is thickest around its mid- 

 dle parts ; its inferior edge, like the superior, 

 becoming attenuated, until it grows so fine 

 as to end in imperceptible union with the 

 substance of the wall, giving it its beauti- 

 fully polished surface : from the heat, how- 

 ever, to which the hoof is artificially exposed, 

 the thin part below the coronet often grows 

 arid, splits from the crust, and becomes 

 everted ; turning, at the same time, in con- 

 sequence of dryness, of a whitish complex- 

 ion. Posteriorly, we find it continued round 

 the heels of the wall and frog, and from 

 thence across the back of the cleft, forming 

 altogether a complete circle, and everywhere 

 showing itself to be the medium of connec- 

 tion between the skin and the hoof It has 

 been already stated that the cutis terminates 

 in a circular border, let into a groove around 

 the summit of the wall : the cuticle, how- 

 ever, does not end here — it is continued 

 down ; in fact, we trace it to the horny 

 band we have been describing, the one being 

 continuous in substance with the other. In- 

 deed, the only detectible differences in them 

 are, that one is thicker than the other, and 

 grows hard, and dry, and white, from the 

 effects of heat upon it from without, and 

 the want of moisture from within. This 

 cuticular origin and assimilation may be 

 demonstrated in the putrefied foot ; or, bet- 

 ter still, in the foot of the foetus. The band 

 is broader at the heels than elsewhere, in con- 

 sequence of the greater breadth of exposed 

 cutis at those parts. In its texture it is 

 fibrous, and its fibres pursue the same direc- 

 ■^^ion as those of the wall, from which they 



differ only in being of a finer texture. Mr. 

 Bracy Clark appears to entertain some sin- 

 gular notions in regard to the structure, but 

 more particularly the uses, of this part; 

 which, in the respect I bear for their author, 

 I shall consider, when the time may arrive 

 for me to treat of the physiology of the 

 foot. 



" The Inferior or Solar Border offers but 

 little worthy of observation. It constitutes 

 the ground or wearing surface of the wall, 

 and is the part to which we nail the shoe. 

 It grows thicker and more exuberant around 

 the toe than in other places, and, from its pro- 

 jecting beyond the sole, presents a conven- 

 ient and suitable hold for the nails of the 

 shoe. Around the anterior and lateral parts, 

 it embraces the sole ; behind, it joins the 

 bars, which two points of union form two 

 principal bearing places for the shoe. The 

 inferior border possesses a larger circumfer- 

 ence than the superior, in consequence of 

 the oblique detruncation of the hoof. 



" This is a part that requires paring down 

 every time the horse is shod. Such is its 

 exuberating nature, that (lilie the human 

 nail), were it not continually kept worn 

 down, or broken, or cut off, it would elon- 

 gate very considerably, and gradually turn 

 up, exhibiting forms not only of the most 

 unsightly but even grotesque description, 

 and proving incommodious to a, degree to 

 be almost entirely destructive of progres- 

 sion. 



" The LamincB (better named lamellce) 

 consist of numerous narrow thin plates or 

 processes, arranged with the nicest order 

 and mathematical precision upon the inter- 

 nal surface of the wall. They extend, in 

 uniform parallels, in a perpendicular direc- 

 tion from the lower edge of the superior 

 border down to the line of junction of the 

 wall with the sole ; and are so thickly set 

 that no part of the superfices remains un- 

 occupied by them. They are likewise con- 

 tinued upon the surfaces of the bars. In 

 the recent subject they are found soft, yield- 

 ing, and elastic ; but from exposure they 

 become dry and rigid. 



" Every lameUae exhibits two edges and 



