742 
PROFESSOR SPOONER’S ORATION. 
I am thus, Gentlemen, naturally led to a brief consideration of 
the principles and practice of shoeing, connected with which I 
trust I shall be permitted to make a few observations upon the 
structure and functions of the foot and lower leg of the horse, as 
compared with other animals. 
We find that the feet of most of our domesticated hoofed animals 
are cloven. They fall, indeed, under that class which are desig- 
nated didactile animals. The foot of the horse, however, is a single 
foot. It is surrounded by one horny encasement or shield, thus 
constituting him a monodactile, or solidungulous animal. It will 
be pleasing to investigate the structure of this part of the frame 
in different animals, and to endeavour to shew how admirably in 
each of them it is adapted to the performance of the functions 
which nature intended it to discharge. 
The hoof of the horse, I have told you, forms a single horny 
encasement. This, however, materially varies in structure at 
different parts. In the first place, let us consider it as a whole, 
and we perceive that it is an elastic, insensitive, yet organized 
shield, for the purpose of affording a surface of support to the 
animal, and protecting the sensitive parts which are placed within. 
On comparing the foot of a horse with that of a ruminant — the 
sheep, for instance — we should suppose, on a superficial view, that 
when this single hoof comes in contact with the ground in his 
progressive movement, concussion, as a necessary consequence, 
must take place at every step. Such, however, is not the case. 
Nature has been ever wise in the arrangement of these parts. So 
beautiful and so complicated did the late Professor Coleman con- 
sider the anatomy and physiology of this organ, and so essential 
for the veterinary practitioner to obtain a perfect knowledge of it, 
that, I believe, he occupied at least fourteen or fifteen days in deli- 
vering lectures on this subject. I will now merely allude to the 
peculiar divisions of the foot. This [ demonstrating it~\ is the outer 
surface of the hoof, called the wall ; and it is especially intended 
for the purpose of supporting the weight of the animal, while the 
undersurface of it, termed the horny sole, is concave below, and is 
merely adapted secondarily to receive pressure, and that only 
from within ; thus there are some parts of the foot which are calcu- 
lated to be brought immediately into contact with the ground, 
and receive the impression thereof, while others, as the horny sole, 
are not at all adapted for this purpose : the object of it being 
evidently that which has been described by Professor Coleman, 
namely, to receive the weight imparted to it from above — to yield 
to that weight, and thereby operate as a spring in progression. 
The projecting substance at the posterior part — the frog, as it is 
commonly designated — we find to be composed of a horny mate- 
