612 
ON SHOEING HORSES. 
This is not the story of the Caliphs. No; this has been drawn 
from us. Yes, and you must take care you are not quartered too. 
I do not doubt it, since before now I have had bets which could 
quickest cut off a donkey’s head in the dissecting room. I mean 
“ a dead ’un.” 
There is a manifest unfairness in any one attempting to write 
on a subject about which he cannot know any thing but that which 
he may have seen in a Review. The work to which the writer 
alludes never having been published, I have never seen the re¬ 
marks made on it. I had perfect confidence in the fairness of the 
Editor, and, in all probability, should not have written another 
line on shoeing horses, if this gentleman had not kindly sent me a 
Number with Mr. Gloag’s experiments. I know who have copies 
of the work. I will inquire if the writer has ever seen it; and if 
so, I will retract what I have written above. I should be very 
sorry to “ do infinite mischief to the advancement of our art,” or 
in any way “ tend to make that which is clear and easy of com¬ 
prehension obscure and complicated; lead astray the mind, and 
reduce the beautiful simplicity of nature’s works to the level of a 
mere machine, the work of man’s hands.” Oh! oh! I must drop 
you rogues; here is a gentleman suspects you are not “ fairies;” 
that you cannot shoe a horse; and if you had, you would be 
ashamed of it. Nonsense; I have been in many parts of the 
world ; the veterinary surgeon is considered as the farrier or horse- 
doctor everywhere, whether it is known he can shoe or not; but 
as to his being brought up a fireman, I do say, and will prove in 
another paper, that this is quite unnecessary. The education of 
the veterinary student is a matter of great importance to himself 
and the public. He should himself know what he is going after, 
and not be led astray by the glozing advertisements of rival vete¬ 
rinary schools. 
If it is really necessary to have a class-room to teach students 
intended for the veterinary department of the army, how stands 
the case 1 What is the number of regiments at home ? Few. 
More veterinary surgeons now go to India, where the practices 
of shoeing stated by the writer are not followed. Can he teach 
these students the practice there! No; they must depend upon 
their knowledge of the physiology of the foot, or some person who 
has been there must teach them. So we must both go at it, it 
seems; he with the bellows and tongs, I without; and parties 
differently situated may place confidence in what each of us say. 
But there is no necessity for him to hang a sign-board round my 
neck that did not belong to me, because I had, and very properly 
too, exposed the humbug signs about town in 1837. I leave it for 
those concerned to reply to what is said about “ duties neglected.” 
