420 
EDITORIAL REMARKS. 
and then we find that one shoeing-smith will shoe a lame horse in 
such a manner that he goes a great deal better when shod by him 
than when shod by another hand. The fact is evident to our senses, 
and there appears some mystery about it. We investigate the 
matter, and find that this smith has sprung the heels of the shoes. 
Now, what does this “springing” effect? Mr. Gloag has sup¬ 
plied the answer to this question. The intervals left between the 
heels of the shoe and the heels of the hoof become closed every 
time the foot is placed upon the ground, but re-open the moment 
the superincumberit pressure is removed by lifting the foot off the 
ground. The shoe in both cases remains a fixed point; the moving 
body, consequently, must be the hoof: in Mr. Gloag’s words, “ the 
heels descended.” And there was found to be that consentaneous 
action between the two sprung heels that when one was stopped 
by the introduction of a wedge of iron between it and the shoe, the 
other was found not to descend “ to the same extent as when both 
heels were at liberty.” 
Other questions involved in the physiology of the foot are more 
or less affected by these experiments, for the consideration of which 
this month we find we have left ourselves no space ; we must there¬ 
fore let them for the present stand over. We cannot, however, 
conclude, without tendering to Mr. Gloag our best thanks for his 
exertions towards the advancement of science; nor without con¬ 
veying to him our hope that he will persevere in the good cause 
he has taken up, and some day or other afford us an opportunity 
of publishing a second series of experiments, interesting not to 
veterinary people alone, but to the entire horse world as well. 
We have received a letter reminding us that “the late Professor 
Coleman left by will the sum of £110, with the intention that the 
interest arising therefrom should be devoted to the purpose of a 
prize to be annually awarded to the writer of the best “ ‘Essay on 
Veterinary Science” and asking us if “ any of our readers can 
afford information as to the fact of any such prize ever having been 
awarded, or of any public announcement thereof having been made, 
such as would give those who chose to become competitors for the 
prize an opportunity of so doing.” Perhaps some of our readers 
will kindly enlighten us on this subject. 
