90 



it is, that language constitutes the key to the sciences, it must 

 be equally evident that language wrongly used, tends to con- 

 vey relatively false notions ; and that such is the case regard- 

 ing the word contraction in its common acceptation, in speaking 

 and writing about horses' feet, it will not be difficult to prove. 

 The word ' contraction ' is used to describe a narrow or small 

 foot of the horse." "I conceive it expedient to test the value 

 of the word contraction in its relation to the foot of the horse." 



" The prevailing notions are alike inconsistent with fact and 

 reason regarding contraction. An imaginary evil has been 

 created, and an indefinite number of equally imaginary measures, 

 to subdue a myth, and in those measures lie the real evils." 



" If we could dismiss from our minds the word ' contraction ' 

 and all ideas of the inward pressure implied, and adopt instead 

 the word atrophy, we should have a meaning given, to almost 

 all the deranged states of the r foot of the horse, whether the 

 cause be want of development through perversion of natural 

 influences, or whether it be the effect of misapplied art subse- 

 quently; atrophy, which means wasting, or lack of nutrition, 

 would indicate the true condition of the foot, and lead to in- 

 quiry after causes. 



"There are many of the most common affections of horses' 

 feet which have yet to be described, and which require the 

 attention their nature demands. Atrophy is the word that 

 clearly indicates these, whether speaking of a particular tissue 

 or several component parts of the same organ." 



THE CASE STATED. 



From these extracts it appears to me perfectly clear that Mr. 

 Gamgee objects to the use of the word ' contraction ' in its com- 

 mon acceptation when used to denote a commonly diseased 

 condition of horses' feet. That the word atrophy would best 

 express almost all the deranged states of the foot of the horse. 

 That the etymological value should be tested to prove this. 

 That the wrong use of a word has led to the creation of an 

 imaginary evil, and equally imaginary measures to subdue a 

 myth, and in these imaginary measures lay the real evil. There 



