HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 103 



gaits of the horse by jM. L. Hoffman of Berlin, in 1887. The 

 plan was to lay down white paper, over which the horse trav- 

 eled. Attached to the external side of each lioof was a brass 

 tube connected by means of a rubber tube along the legs to a 

 reservoii' placed in front of the rider upon tlie horse's withers. 

 When the hoof touched the paper the pointed end of the brass 

 tube, projecting downwards, de^xisited a small pool of colored 

 liquid from the reservoir above, discoloring the paper. Thus 

 the gait was registered by lengths. It is understood that 

 M- Hoffman employed photography to obtain the positions of 

 the legs when in motion. The electrical device of M. Marey 

 was perfected in 1889 by Armand Goubaux and Gustave Bar- 

 rier, professors in the Veterinary School of Alfort, and Central 

 and National Society of Agriculture of France. By the use of 

 a very ingenious instrument they succeeded in registering the 

 gaits of the horse by electricity. So long as the horse's foot is 

 in the air the two points of contact touch each other and com- 

 plete the cm-rent ; but as soon as the hoof touches the ground 

 they are separated and interrupt it. At each rising and rest- 

 ing of the foot it is again closed and brokezi. This closing and 

 breaking being instantaneous, and, moreover, the force of the 

 spring and the projection of the leg being capable of modifica- 

 tion at will, it is easy to give to tliis apparatus great strength 

 yet with, all the precision and sensibity desired. In short it is 

 able to register with the utmost accm^acy the periods of the 

 change of contact, the rhythm of the beats, and the number, 

 nature, and diverse bases of the complete step of any gait nor- 

 mal or pathologicaL By far the most complete and satisfac- 

 tory method of registering the gait of the horse in motion is that 

 of photography, originated bj^ the late Hon. Lelaiid Stanford of 

 Palo Alto, California. ]\Ir- Stanford had for many years enter- 

 tained the opinion that by the use of the camera, instantaneous 

 pictures could be obtained wliich would show the actual posi- 

 tion of the limbs of the horse at each stride and in different 

 gaits. In order to x^ut this idea to a practical test, Mr. Stanford 

 employed jSIr. Eadweard L. Muybridge, a very skillful photog- 

 rapher of San Francisco, to institute experiments to this end. 

 These were commenced in 1872, but were quite inconclusive in 

 their results, and it was not until 1877 that Mi. Muybridge 

 again took up the task, making his trials with a single camera. 

 Subsequently the number of cameras was increased to twelve, 

 which were arranged in a building, at intervals of twenty-one 

 inches, with double shutters to each, which were opened by 

 means of a machine constructed somewhat upon the principle 

 of a Swiss music box, the arrangement being such that the 



