THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. 1 1 1 



and that the modes of fastening on this iron interfere 

 with, if not altogether obstruct, the processes of 

 nature. The efforts of all have been directed toward 

 diminishing the weight of iron, and this has led them 

 to the conclusion that the less the natural foot is in- 

 terfered with the better. M. la Fosse thus inferred 

 that one-half of the ordinary shoe was unnecessary, and 

 that nothing more was needed than a tip on the front 

 half of the foot. Unfortunately he directed that the 

 heel should be pared, thus making it weaker, and he 

 fastened on his tip, which had about six inches of 

 iron in its entire length, with eight nails. He v/as 

 thus " inserting wedges, amounting in the aggregate 

 to from one to one and a half inches in thickness, in 

 six inches of horn, thus squeezing it into the space of 

 five or even four inches, and killing it from the 

 clenches downwards and outwards." It is strange that 

 veterinary surgeons, who have clearly comprehended 

 the mischief thus caused, have failed to draw the 

 logical inference from their premises. Mr. Douglas 

 was aware that the crust of the horse's foot re- 

 sembles in its natural state a number of small tubes, 

 bound together by a hardened, glue-like substance, 

 and he compares it to a mitrailleuse gun with its many 

 barrels soldered together. By his way of nailing, M. 

 la Fosse was reducing the size of ^ach tube by one- 

 sixth, or rather was entirely closing those nearest the 

 nails, and compressing those that lie half-way between 

 each pair of nails. He was, in this respect, aggravat- 

 ing the mischief of the ordinary shoe, which com- 

 monly has seven nails, and this ensured dryness and 



