CONFORMATION OF HORSES* FEET. 553 
by the farrier-major of the 11th Dragoons, that appear to 
have been worn by being subjected to this double action of 
the hoof, with which the late Professor Coleman was well 
acquainted; however much some may consider he knew little 
about shoeing, “muff” as he was, though those rogues shoe- 
ing-smiths considered him the Mufti. He said: “ I have added 
to the shoe what I consider is a great improvement, that is, 
clips at the heels, to counteract this disposition to contraction 
when pressed inwards.” When pressed upwards by weight, 
he knew he could only obviate it by entirely taking off the 
pressure of weight.* 
Mr. Whitworth, of Manchester, also claims to have solved 
a mechanical difficulty, long felt by the scientific world, 
and often announced as accomplished, but never hitherto 
successfully. He exhibits a machine which it can be ascer¬ 
tained by the touch measures the 250,000th part of an inch, 
and which it is believed may be made to measure a millionth 
part of an inch. It would be very difficult, indeed, to 
measure the motion of growth, unless Mr. Whitworth’s machine, 
shown at the Great Exhibition, is available for this purpose. 
Some veterinarian at Manchester might have the goodness to 
ascertain this. 
I can admit of no other motion , nor can I believe the late 
Professor Coleman meant any other; for, when any other is 
visible , as in the application to the letter of Mr. Reeves's narrow 
shoe , it is only in that state of the hoof, when the sole, 
“ which is a powerful spring to the horse,” is diminished in 
substance; for when the hoof is of its proper magnitude of 
surface and volume , ce and by volume we do not take into 
account its figure,” no descent of the sole could happen; but 
shelving of crust would go on by growth, and there is per¬ 
manent descent of the coffin bone and sole. According to 
the rigour of geometrical reasoning and nature , not the prac¬ 
tices of the forge, Mr. Gloag is, I believe, perfectly correct 
in his physiology, that there is no descent of the Sole or 
expansion of the crust but that which happens from gradual 
growth. As a physiologist, I am not bound to admit any 
thing as a test of expansion or non-expansion, in half a hoof \ 
or that occurs in the practices of shoeing of any country, I 
can only consider the foot in its natural state of full proportion. 
More than a quarter of a century since I stated, in p. 7, in 
my pamphlet on ‘The Foot,’ that the action of the horse’s 
foot could be solved by a piece of pasteboard. ( Vide Propo- 
* Vide 1 Veterinarian’ for February, p. 89. M. Perrier’s ‘ Theory on the 
Elasticity of the Foot,’ which is the late Professor Coleman’s theory, as shown 
by his lectures and practices of shoeing. 
VOL. XXV 4 E 
