THE DEFENCE OF THE FOOT. 



In a former treatise on the Foot of the Horse, published in the year 

 1809, I detected some undiscovered parts in the hoof, and circumstances 

 in the plan of its structure before unknown, and especially pointed out 

 for Observation its elastic propei-ties. Keeping this principle in view, I 

 proceeded to develope the mysterious and ill understood effects of 

 shoeing, by exhibiting the shoe as constantly opposing this natural 

 property of the foot, whence the evils so much complained of To render 

 the fact demonstrable, and place it beyond mere opimon, I suggested 

 the experiment of taking a succession of casts in plaster of paris from 

 the sarae foot during a period of six years; these, compared with each 

 other afforded evidence enough of an annual diminution of volume in 

 the foot. To exhibit more forcibly this train of evil, I divided the 

 process into annual periods, though one unceasing course of niischief, 

 describing to each the eflects it produced, tili the foot could no longer 

 serve its purposes, and thus showed the real cause of what had been 

 heretofore attributed to abuses of the smiths, or, by the niore enlightened, 

 to the want of pressure on the frog. In this present Treatise, in order to 

 finish iny labours on this brauch of the art, I propose to take a view of the 

 actual process of shoeing now used, and conclude, with remarks and 

 suggestions for the reraoval of the evil, which 1 aiu disposed to believe 

 is not very distant, and that the public are iil)ont to derive great advantages 

 from the researches made on this branch of kuowledge. 



Discovering the above flagrant defect in the principle of the common 

 shoe, I was led to consider the remedy, which appeared natural and 

 obvious, viz. a shoe, that might be put on and oftat pleasure, leaving the 

 foot in its natural liberty, at all times wlien the horse was not employed 

 in bis work, and I did not see any reason for its being impracticable. 



Seeing the lamentable suffering of the animal, and with the hope of 

 being instrumental to bis relief, I was urged to strong exertions. I engaged 

 myself with almost unremitted attention during four years and upwards. 



