MILES' S TREATISE. ^45 



termed a re-introduction of Mr Turner's ' unilateral ' shoe, 

 modified by Bourgelat's and Goodwin's bent-up or curved 

 toe. The method of shoeing and the shoe itself is founded 

 entirely, like that of Mr Youatt's, on the theory of the lateral 

 expansion of the foot and the descent of the sole. 



The horny crust, according to Mr Miles, is ' elastic 

 throughout its whole extent, and yielding to the weight of 

 the horse, allows the horny sole to descend, whereby much 

 inconvenient concussion to the internal parts of the foot is 

 avoided ; but if a large portion of the circumference of 

 the foot be fettered by iron and nails, it is obvious that 

 that portion at least cannot expand as before ; and the 

 beautiful and efficient apparatus for effecting this neces- 

 sary elasticity being no longer allowed to act by reason of 

 these restraints, becomes altered in structure ; and the con- 

 tinued operation of the same causes in the end circum- 

 scribes the elasticity to those parts alone where no nails 

 have been driven ; giving rise to a train of consequences 

 destructive to the soundness of the foot, and fatal to the 

 usefulness of the horse.' Serious anatomical and physio- 

 logical mistakes occur in this section of this work, and 

 nothing is said as to the function of the frog. The sole 

 is made to ascend and descend as the weight was applied 

 to or removed from it. ' This descending property of 

 the sole calls for our especial consideration in directing 

 the form of the shoe ; for if the shoe be so formed that 

 the horny sole rests upon it, it cannot descend lower, and 

 the sensible sole above, becoming squeezed between the 

 edges of the coffin-bone and the horn, causes inflamma- 

 tion, and perhaps abscess. The effect of this squeezing 

 of the sensible sole is most commonly witnessed at the 



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