The countersinking cannot be done as close to the edge as a crease 

 without giving an inward direction, and the tool with which the 

 crease is cut is held on a bevel inclining to the inside. This, as has 

 been shown, compels the nail being driven on a curve, first, to get 

 sufficient " hold," and when that is done to bring it to the outside, in 

 order to clinch it and fasten the shoe. 



Anyone who will take the trouble to drive a horse-nail into a piece 

 of wood, giving it the same curve that the smith does, twist ofi" the 

 point and clinch it in the same way, by splitting the A^ood apai-t 

 after this is done, he will see how much greater the inward pres- 

 sure is, and that if there is only a thin stratum between the nail and 

 the sensitive part of the foot, there must be a pressure that will 

 result in lameness. 



When the nails are driven, in lieu of filing a notch to receive the 

 clinch, I use a small gouge, only cutting away so miich of the horn 

 as will hold it. By following this plan, the clinch is depressed where 

 it cannot do injury, and this without weakening the foot. As is well 

 known, the enamel is much the strongest part, and when the edge of 

 the rasp is used to cut a i-eceptacle for the clinch, the groove extends 

 from the front to the rear nail. I have known many instances where 

 the whole side, ft-om the clinches to the nail-holes at the bottom, was 

 torn off with the shoe, and this could not occur when the plan rec- 

 ommended is followed. The toe and sides of the tip should be flush 

 with the edge of the horn, or so near that there is only a trifle of 

 projection to be filed away. It is better to have it exactly even, and 

 if the gouge-cutting is pi-opeily done the clinch will be hammered 

 uniform with the horn, so that there is no necessity for tiling ; and 

 should there be a roughness, care must be taken that in removing it 

 the horn is not marked. Every mark of the file on the enamel is an 

 injury. It not only weakens, as it also gives a chance for moisture to 

 penetrate, and I am thoroughly convinced that moisture is injurious 

 and that one purpose of the enamel is to render the foot impervious 

 to the entrance of fluids. As has been shown, the horn is composed 

 of tubes — hairs — fastened together with an agglutinizing material, 

 and each tube filled with a substance that gives life. The application 

 of water weakens the adhering properties ; maceration destroys ; that 



