40 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



minute openings which receive the papillae of the coronary 

 cushion. 



At the bottom of the internal face, at the point where 

 the toe joins the sole, will be noted the before-mentioned 

 y^ -shaped prominence. Its position will be clearly under- 

 stood when we say that it gives the appearance of having 

 been forced there by the pressure of the toe-clip of the 

 shoe. This will be noted again when dealing with the sole. 



The Inferior Border of the wall offers little to note. It 

 is that portion in contact with the ground, and subject to 

 wear. A point of interest is its union with the sole. 

 This will be noticed in a foot which has just been pared 

 as a narrow white or faint yellow line on the inner or 

 concave face of the wall at its lower portion. It marks 

 the point where the horny leaves of the wall terminate and 

 become locked with corresponding leaves of the circum- 

 ference of the sole. 



The Superior Border follows closely the line marked by 

 the periople ring and the groove separating the latter from 

 the coronary cushion. 



The Extremities of the wall are formed by the abruptly 

 reflected portions of the wall at the heels. Termed by some 

 the 'Inflexural Nodes,' they are better known to us as the 

 'Points of the Heels.' 



2. The Sole. — The sole is a thick plate of horn which, 

 in conjunction with the bars and the frog, forms the floor 

 of the foot. In shape it is irregularly crescentic, its posterior 

 portion, that between the horns of the crescent, being 

 deeply indented in a V" sna P ec ^ manner to receive the frog. 

 Its upper surface is convex, its lower concave. It may be 

 recognized as possessing two faces and two borders. 



The Superior or Internal Face is adapted to the sole of 

 the os pedis. Its highest point, therefore, is at the point 

 of its V'~ sna ped indentation. From this point it slopes in 

 every direction downwards and outwards until near the 

 circumference. Here it curves up to form a kind of a 

 groove in which is lodged the inferior edge of the os pedis. 

 In the centre of its anterior portion — that is to say, at the 



