THE HORSE. 65 



application of the patten shoe to the sound foot in 

 lame cases, but I find Mr. Goodwin speaks in its 

 favour. Beyond all doubt, Mr. Goodwin's authority 

 demands precedence, but I have frequently known 

 this shoe used by country farriers, in cases of strain in 

 the back sinews, when surely it must be erroneous 

 practice, since, under such debility of the leg and 

 tendon, from defect of fibrous and ligamentary elas- 

 ticity, no additional weight should be thrown upon it. 

 The opposite effect of rigidity and contraction would 

 indeed change the state of the case ; but generally, I 

 should suspect more mischief than benefit from the 

 patten shoe, unless as applied to the lame foot in 

 sinew strains, as a support to the tendon, the suscep- 

 tibility of which I have heretofore proved, and which, 

 in a chronic case, is softened and affected in its 

 substance, proportionally with its ligaments. An 

 ancient writer observes of the patten shoe, that " it 

 is a necessary shoe for a horse that is hurt in the hip 

 or stifle, to be put on upon the contrary foot, to the 

 intent, that the fore leg may hang, and not touch the 

 ground." This I cannot understand, but commend 

 it to those who can. Ou^ht it not to be the hinder 

 leg which should hang, in order to elongate the fibres 

 supposed to be contracted ? 



The horrible, damnable, and equally useless opera- 

 tion, of tearing out, or drawing the sole ! is now, 

 it may be hoped, universally and utterly exploded in 

 Britain. There has always existed a propensity to 

 torturing operations, in the mere guise of experiment, 

 and at whatever risk, in the French veterinary schools, 

 a strange anomaly in so enlightened a people. 



