EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
413 
geons ? No ! Of what then ? — of farriers ? No ! But of colonels 
commanding cavalry regiments ; a circumstance from which 
we suppose it was argued, they could not fail to know every 
body’s business in the regiments under their several com- 
mands. Nay! but there were two (silent?) members of the 
profession besides. Well! what was done? 
One good, certainly, was effected, the pruning knife was 
forbidden to be used for the purpose of pairing away the sole 
of the hoof, that was to be removed in no case save when it 
was found in the act of exfoliating. While the shoe to be nailed 
thereupon, was ordered to be the one of the most common or 
general in use, and which admitted of being fabricated by the 
variest tyro of the forge. The principle kept in view, was in 
itself good ; though the sacrifice made at the time of such an 
opportunity offering, to have conferred a real boon on the 
service, was unfortunately lost, and a horse-shoe of no 
consideration whatever w 7 as permitted to usurp its place. 
Having discussed this point, M. Hallen and myself confined 
our observations to the shoe itself — the shoe which ought to 
have formed the recommendation of the committee, and here, 
the only point we found for any want of agreement between 
us, v T as in the curve at the toe , which some (the French in 
particular) give to the shoe, and w 7 hich he contended w r as in 
consonance with nature, while I felt inclined to think this was 
not the case, but rather that it w r as taking aw 7 ay what nature 
had intended, particularly in horses dragging loads up hill, to 
serve as an important fulcrum to aid them in progression. Mr. 
Hallen, while he admitted the use and aid of the fulcrum, was 
of opinion that the horse, wearing a shoe w r ith a curved toe, 
was not deprived of it, but rather had still more advantage of 
it, since, in his opinion, the fulcrum w 7 as not at the point of the 
toe, but rather at either side of it ; added to w hich, he sup- 
ported the curved toe by saying, it w 7 as dictated to us by the 
shape of the worn shoe, as well as by the comparisons w’e were 
able to make between the feet and the shoes of a man and a 
horse. I replied, that my observations had led to a contrary 
opinion, so far as the natural form of the coffin bone went; 
and, in support of this, that I would relate an instance in point. 
xxvii. 54 
