Author's opi- 

 iiiuu that the 



92 CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. 



rior or centrical part of that bone." This })osition 

 1 materially differ from ; and 1 have many reasons 

 for contending, that, if the fact is not jnst the re- 

 verse, at least the descent of the anterior part 

 crtfin"£ne d( - of the coffin bone under the impression of the super- 

 araii parts'iu * incumbcnt weight, even the toe of the hone, is quite 



tlic uiisliod na- . . .1 , ... /••ii//' 



tuia] foot. as extensive as the very extremities oj the heels oj 

 the bone. A reference to the organic structure of 

 the relative parts will be found completely to bear 

 me out ; viz. the elastic laminae surrounding the 

 coffin bone (by the elongation of which alone is the 

 foot bone permitted to descend within the hoof) 

 are more extensive, they are broader and more fully 

 developed at the toe and anterior part of the bone 

 than at the heels. 



Now, as all who have written on this subject 

 aoree that the coffin bone and hornv sole do vield 

 or descend under the impression of the superin- 

 cumbent weight, and thus prevent concussion of 

 the whole animal, and of the foot in particular (a 

 theory in which 1 fully concur), I am apprehensive 

 that some of my readers may think 1 am attaching 

 an importance to this dilTerence of opinion relative 

 to the degree of descent., anteriorly and posteriorly, 

 which the subject does not deserve ; and certainly, 

 if our discussion were confined to the functions of 

 tlie natural unshod foot, and the practice of shoeing 

 horses' feet with iron and nails was for ever at an 

 end, 1 might have paused before 1 mooted a subject 



