ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF 



THE FOOT. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



To attain anything like a full and clear conception of the 

 economy of the foot of the horse, its various component parts, 

 whether internal or external ; their structural organization, and 

 the uses for which they are designed; the laws that govern 

 healthy function ; the phenomena of disease, and the rationale 

 of cure, should be studied very attentively. " There is no 

 royal road " to the perfect mastery of this subject ; but it is one 

 whoever travels with diligence, whether for pleasure or profit, 

 will soon be led to a strong vantage ground of usefulness to 

 society, that will enable him to accomplish an incalculable 

 amount of benefit for the horse, and therefore for his owner, 

 and incidently to advance in manner and degree, but little sus- 

 pected, the best interests of humanity and civilization. 



Anything more than a brief outline of the anatomy of the 

 integrant parts of the foot, whether internal or external, would 

 lead me far beyond the limits assigned me by the scope of this 

 work or the patience of my readers. Indeed, I would much 

 prefer the discussion of hypotheses, the investigation of causes, 

 and the practical application of remedies, to the dry details 

 of anatomy. They are, however, not barren of results, since 

 they afford the only foundation upon which the science of 

 therapeutics can be built. If, therefore, we would build for per- 

 manence, we must lay the foundation broad and deep in the 

 facts and teachings of anatomy and physiology. 



