THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. V. JUNE, 1832. No. 54. 
ANATOMY OF THE HORSE. 
[Continued from page 249.] 
OF THE FOOT. 
THE FOOT is the part upon which the animal stands; with 
which he treads the ground; and by which his body is sup¬ 
ported. Of his whole structure it constitutes the basis. 
Number. —Animals exhibit differences in the number of their 
feet, and accordingly have been distributed into classes, con¬ 
sisting of bipeds , quadrupeds y and multipedes. Bipeds include 
men and birds. Quadrupeds comprehend most of the land 
animals. Multipedes embrace insects. The reptile genus , such 
as serpents, &c. being without feet. 
Toes or Claws. —Another classification of animals has been 
formed from the number of toes or claws their feet are cleft or 
divided into. Those possessing but one toe, and consequently 
an undivided foot, come into the class of monodactyles, so/ipedcs, 
or solidungulous animals: they are the horse, the ass, and the 
mule. The didactyles, or two-toed class, embraces the rumi¬ 
nants—oxen, sheep, and goats. The tetradactyles, or four¬ 
toed, include the dog, the cat, and the hog. 
Division. —Founded upon the obvious and important differ¬ 
ences existing between the external and internal composition of 
the foot, a division has been made of its parts into those that are 
sensible , or sensitive , and those that are insensible , or insensitive . 
A more suitable phraseology would have been found in the terms 
organic and inorganic , since of the parts they are meant to dis¬ 
tinguish, one possesses neither nerves, nor bloodvessels, nor 
absorbent vessels; while the others are furnished with all these 
attributes of organization. 
The external part of the foot consists entirely of horn, and 
from such composition has got the name of hoof. 
The internal parts consist of bones, ligaments, and tendons, 
besides structures peculiar to the foot. 
vol. v. t t 
