230 REVIEW—SHAW ON THE FOOT OF THE HORSE. 
thin weak plate of horn the sole in many instances is, either by na¬ 
ture or art, reduced, is very like Norton’s wedge of dough splitting 
the two oak trees. Whatever “ descent” the sole has must be in 
conjunction with the coffin-bone, and that around the circumference 
of the toe is next to nothing ; since we all know—and they who 
use concave shoes best know—how close the shoe may, around the 
toe, be approximated to the sole without producing any sensible 
annoyance. 
If the coffin bone “ descend,” i. e. moves “ downward and back¬ 
ward”—as on all hands it seems to be admitted that it does—then 
must the sole likewise descend, or at least yield to the required 
degree to admit of such descent of the bone. The latter is Mr. 
Shaw’s opinion. He regards the sole as “ capable of compression, 
or of yielding to weight from above, without any descent what¬ 
ever occurring to its lower surfaceand he argues this to be the 
case from the fact of “ its internal surface being hard and very little 
elastic, for protection from external injury, from which surface, as it 
approaches the sensitive parts, its elasticity becomes remarkable, 
to ensure their safety from concussion.” 
But the coffin-bone cannot “ descend” or “ yield” without either 
its connexions with the crust or the crust itself bending or yielding 
too. Coleman asserted that it was to the “ elongation of the 
laminae” the coffin-bone owed its power of descent; likening the 
500 laminae, in their operation, to 500 “ springs.” Mr. Shaw says, 
the laminae are not elastic. Professor Spooner agrees with him. 
We said they were not nineteen years ago. Our words are— 
“Veterinary writers and lecturers have endowed the laminae with 
a degree of elasticity; but it appears to us that the property (of 
elasticity) is referrible to their connexions , and not one inherent 
in themselves. The said ‘ connexions’ being an elastic tissue at¬ 
taching the laminae to the coffin-bone, the fibres of which take the 
same direction (viz. downwards and backwards) as the horny fibres 
composing the crust and sole of the hoof*.” To this elastic tissue 
it is that we ascribe the faculty possessed by the coffin-bone of 
yielding under weight and action, what Coleman has called 
" descending.” 
Mr. Shaw, as will have been seen from our quotations, thinks 
* See “ The Anatomy of the Horse,” page 441. 
