REVIEW. 
155 
place in action ; while Bouley, as we have just seen, finds its de¬ 
gree in the unshod or natural foot exceedingly small, and in the 
shod foot so trifling as hardly to admit of demonstration. This 
alleged, and we believe on all sides acknowledged, very limited 
expansion the wall of the hoof undergoes under the operation of 
pression may serve to account for the contrariety of opinion, 
and that professional, on the subject up even to the hour we 
are writing; though such difference of opinion may be, and no 
doubt is, very much influenced by the circumstance, also pretty 
generally admitted, of whatever expansive properties the un¬ 
fettered or natural hoof may possess, being very materially 
counteracted, if not altogether annihilated, by the practice of 
shoeing. Let the question turn, however, which way it may, 
we feel quite assured our readers, even from the little they have 
had presented to them of the work under examination, will unite 
with us in considering a tribute of acknowledgment and thanks 
due to M. Bouley for his valuable researches into a subject at all 
times a favourite with us, and one which in parts still remains a 
mystery to us. In the present state of plantar literature on our 
own side the channel, the work, which must take rank among 
the chef d'ceuvres of our art, would prove valuable to us in a 
translated form: at the same time, we must remind the translator, 
whoever he may be, that his production may be rendered addi¬ 
tionally attractive by containing an equally faithful and particular 
account of such British veterinarians as have written on the foot 
as what M. Bouley’s does of the French authors on the subject. 
In fact, M. Bouley will, we feel quite certain, in another edition, 
supply this important omission himself, not only as one required 
by the work, but as one demanded by a nation whose veteri¬ 
nary representatives cannot but feel that partial justice only has 
been dealt out to them in the present volume. And we speak 
the more confidently on this point, because we now know that 
M. Bouley, at the time he was writing this book, lacked such 
English works in his library as were necessary for him to possess 
in order to enable him to make his “ history of elasticity” 
complete; works which he tried every means, unsuccessfully, 
to obtain from this country. 
