FARRIERY. 
George Baker, Sir T. C. Banbury, Sir ^Wil- 
liam Fordyce, and the celebrated John 
Hunter, Esq. 
Vicinity to London being an important 
object, and a pure air no less indispensable, 
Pancras was fixed upon for the scite of the 
college. Its success, however, was not, in 
the first instance, much to be vaunted ; in- 
deed its stability became somewhat doubt- 
ful, owing to a variety of causes. The fact 
seems to be, that St. Bel, though a perfect 
enthusiast, and to a certain degree skilled 
in the veterinary art, had not that complete 
acquaintance with the subject which so con- 
spicuous a situation imperiously demanded : 
he was also deficient in that peculiar ducti- 
lity of disposition, and that accommodation 
to the opinions of others, which in every 
instance are prepossessing, and to a man in 
his situation were indispensable. He died 
in 1793, and Messrs. Coleman and More- 
croft were appointed joint professors. Both 
these gentlemen appear to have been highly 
qualified for the pre-eminent situations they 
held: Mr. Coleman being a surgeon who 
had distinguished himself by a work of great 
merit, and Mr. Morecroft being a medical 
gentleman who had visited the continent, 
for the purpose of acquiring as complete an 
insight into veterinary operations as the 
schools in that quarter could furnish. The 
latter, however, ultimately retired, and left 
Mr. Coleman to fill the professor’s chair, 
which he does with infinite advantage to 
the public, and with no less credit to him- 
self. 
A sum is allowed annually by\ Parlia- 
ment towards the support of the college, 
which also derives some aid from the fees of 
students, and from subscription. The do- 
nation of twenty guineas makes a subscriber 
for life, and the payment of two guineas 
yearly gives the same title for that term. 
In either case the privilege of sending two 
horses to the veterinary hospital, free of all 
charges, except for keep, is thus acquired. 
His Majesty has given considerable import- 
ance to the institution, by requiring that all 
veterinary surgeons, employed in the army, 
should have passed examination at the col- 
lege, and he has eminently served the whole 
of the cavalry corps by conferring on those 
surgeons the rank of commissioned officers. 
The various lecturers on medicine and sur- 
gery, who have so handsomely contributed 
their efforts towards the success of this im- 
portant establishment, have on all occasions 
vied in promoting its welfare, and in ex- 
tending its influence ; by allowing the stu- 
dents to attend at their respective lectures, 
free of expense, those liberal professors 
have essentially served the institution. 
We shall now endeavour to lay before 
our readers a concise account of the present 
improved mode of shoeing, and of treating 
diseases, as practised at the college. 
The first object which comes under no- 
tice is the mechanical operation of shoeing. 
It would be entering on too extensive a 
field, were we to enumerate the various 
forms that have been recommended, toge- 
ther with the reasons assigned for the sup- 
posed superiority of each : we must content 
ourselves with describing the method now 
in use. 
Mr. Coleman has the shoes made three 
times as thick at the toe as at the heels, be- 
cause they wear more forward than behind. 
By this means the heels are less oppressed 
with weight, and the frog is allowed to 
come down to the ground : a matter of ex- 
treme importance. The nails are all placed 
forward, four on each side, but not ap- 
proaching too near the heels, that they may 
not obstruct the elastic powers of those 
parts. The old method of fullering, i. e. 
making a groove in the shoe, being found 
injurious, by often breaking away the heads 
of the nails, they are now counter-sunk in 
conical or wedge-shaped holes, so that they 
may be driven up close to their thickest 
parts, and be out of the way of accident. 
By this means the nails and shoes appear as 
one body, and always wear together. 
For horses which go in shafts, or are 
used in hunting, it is usual to make shoes 
with only one heel, which should be out- 
ward. The horse’s heel must be rather 
lowered on that side, and the inner heel of 
the shoe somewhat thickened so as to ba- 
lance, and bear equally. By this easy pre- 
caution a good footing is obtained, and cut- 
ting is effectually prevented. The best 
breadth for the shoe of a medium sized 
horse is said to be one inch at the toe, and 
three quarters at the heel; the weight about 
eighteen or twenty ounces. Light saddle- 
horses should not have shoes exceeding six- 
teen ounces ; and, unless local circumstances 
prevail, twelve ounces will be generally 
found preferable. 
In order to fit the shoe without causing 
the horse to stand too much on his heels, 
the under part of the crust, or wall of the 
hoof, is pared away to receive the excess of 
thickness in front; for the bottom of the 
shoe ought to be perfectly flat, without any 
stubs or calkings in front. Paring away the 
