CHRONIC LAMENESS OF THE FEET. «3 



commences from the very first hour that the colt organic dis- 

 walks upon his first shoes ; that the elastic lamina? by km? con- 

 by which the weight of the whole machine is sus- tlonai tii'stmi,- 

 pended in the hoofs are put somewhat less upon 

 the stretch than before the shoes were applied ; 

 yet, notwithstanding the restraint of iron and nails, 

 the animal does not exhibit to his owner or persons 

 about him the slightest indication of lameness or 

 inconvenience ; neither is he lame : but inconsi- 

 derable as the innovation is at the time, its con- 

 tinued repetition soon amounts to a bane, by caus- 

 ing, not disease, but simply a retraction of the la- 

 minae in direct ratio to the partial suspension of 

 their office ; hence follows, in obedience to nature's 

 law, diminished capacity, from the want of the na- 

 turally extensive action of the organ. 



Now, the grand emancipation from this thraldom 

 of the foot, the " clean sweeping reform," consists in 

 rivetting the iron defence to one side only of the 

 hoof, instead of both, hy the avoiding of lohich, emancipation 

 tieither quarter or side of the foot becomes fixed or £'-ro,"fe[tTi'" 

 fettered ; but, by dilating under every impression 

 of the superincumbent weight, the coffin and navi- 

 cular bones are permitted to descend to the natural 

 extent of the elastic apparatus in which they are 

 embedded. 



Gentlemen, I will not further intrude on your 

 time ; but at another opportunity, with your per- 

 mission, I have much to propose on the subject of 



G 2 



