28 
CRIMEAN REMINISCENCES. 
sitive parts beneath, and, occasionally splitting and cracking, 
present a very unpleasant appearance. My experience 
on this subject has given me great reason to deprecate this 
system of attempting to improve Nature, who will ever retaliate 
when her laws are opposed. 
The Spaniards prepare the foot by means of sharp pincers, 
with which they nip away the wall all round, cutting through 
and removing any stubs that may have remained in the horn, 
finishing with the old buttress. 
The French, Russian, Italian, and Spanish shoes differ so 
little in their general construction and application from those 
in use in our country, as not to require a separate con- 
sideration. 
INJURIES TO THE BACK AND LOINS. 
The greatest of all the evils we had to contend with in the 
treatment of so large a number of animals in constant and 
varied work, was that of injury to the back and loins. The 
cause of this should first be considered. It was most fre- 
quently owing to continued pressure and repeated injuries 
arising from an irregular tilting, backwards and forwards, of 
the pack, or other saddle, immediately upon the body ; the 
ordinary pack-saddle being, from its faulty construction, 
when in use for any lengthened period, certain to entail these 
consequences, which are materially increased by insecure 
fastening and badly fitting pads, unequal loading, &c. 
As the transport of an army under some circumstances — 
for instance, in the Crimea, during the rainy season — can 
only be accomplished by this most objectionable of all 
methods, I would suggest the necessity of adopting some 
contrivance which would obviate the movement of the saddle 
with its load directly upon the back of the animal sustaining it. 
If a protecting pad were first of all firmly secured to the 
body, whereupon the pack-saddle, of lighter construction than 
the old one, might be permitted to exert its unavoidable move- 
ments, I am of opinion that this precaution would at least 
lessen the chances of injury. I am not so sanguine as to 
hope in its entire success ; but careful securing, loading, and 
treatment at the end of the journey, would certainly diminish 
the fearful number of cases of this almost intractable malady. 
On my arrival in the Crimea, being detached for duty at 
two battalions, I found upwards of 220 animals suffering 
from injuries of the withers and loins from the cause above 
named. 760 being the aggregate number of effective and 
non-effective horses in the two battalions, shows one third 
from this cause alone to be totally unavailable for service. 
