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fio-ure, that cauuot easily be torn or splintered. Aad ihe wearing line 

 assumes an undulating or waving form, which preserves it from fracture-, 

 this figure appears to be the result of the two motions or situations of the 

 limb, viz. in nieeting the grouiid, and in leaving it, describing a different 

 Position in eacb, as it is placed before or behind the radius, or rather 

 üentre of motion of tlie lever of the limb. 



As to the paved roads or stones, as they are often called, in London, 

 I have had much experience in riding uushod horses upon them; and find 

 the natural hoof does not suffer in nearly an equal degree on these as it 

 does on a gravel road, as there is nothing in the smooth surface of a stone 

 to rub or wear away the hoof. Their hardness, however, is a subject 

 of great coniplaint, and which has been ignorantly imagined to be 

 productive of numerous evils; but more, I am satisfied, is attributed to this 

 kind of road than belongs to it even in this respect, and that the numbness 

 of feet. and blundering manner of going, is not so miich the effeet of the 

 stones, as of the hardening and contraction of the hoof, about the foot, 

 and the f»)rmation of ring bones from the too solid and fixed properties 

 of the shoe; and these evils ought in justice most often to be referred 

 to its defective general principle. 



The coating of dirt, which the stones almost unavoidably get, usefuUy 

 takes from them that hardness and slipperiness they otherwise would have, 

 especially when the dirt is moderately dryed ^ and which I believe should 

 rather be to a certain degree permitted than removcd, and especially if the 

 notable invcntion of iron paving should become more general. The 

 hard, smooth, and well-compacted causeways of the Romans, on which 

 their horses feet rung and resounded,* were not complained of as being 

 too hard for their horses feet unshod, and their causeways indeed alone 

 would shew us at once that they did not shoe, for it is evident these irons 

 would have had no more hold on such a surface than upon the flag-stones 

 of the foot-ways of our London streets, the danger of which is pretty 

 well understood. 



Fresh granite is more destructive of the Hoofs than old stones, and if 

 covered with new gravel, it becomes a very grindstone to the feet, more so 

 even than any gravel road can be. As the roads are at present, it is obvions 

 some defence is necessary for much use of the horse upon them. The most 



* Atqiie tais primüm Sonipes calcaribus arsit. Claudian. lib. I. 

 Sit tibi pratcrca Smipes Maumsia tellus, Xf.mesiams, v. 259- 



