REVIEW. 
599 
the body, which does not occur in any other part tff the animal. All 
other bones are united together by the intervention of cartilages or 
joints ; but in this case, the union with the body is effected solely by 
means of muscular substance. There is nothing approximating to a 
joint. The shoulder-blade is slung, as it were, in a mass of muscle. 
This arrangement serves completely to break the shock of the gallop 
or leap, and, at the same time, renders shoulder-lameness a very rare 
occurrence, except as the consequence of a direct local injury. If the 
smith and farrier were aware of this fact, they would not trace to the 
shoulder, as they do, one half of the diseases which are located in the 
foot and leg. By referring the lameness to the shoulder, the smith can 
easily get rid of the results of bad shoeing.”—p. 44. 
We cannot refrain from noticing the last two sentences of 
the above paragraph, for scarcely a week passes but we are 
told, on a lame horse being submitted to our inspection 
that “ the farrier said he was lame in the shoulder.” This 
at once leads us to examine the foot, and in many cases we 
find that the lameness is caused by a prick from a nail. 
Passing from the shoulder to what the author terms the 
leg, we fully concur with the remarks he has made on the 
form and proportions of each part, with the exception of 
an unimportant error; for instance, at page 54, he says, 
“ The leg should be thin when viewed in front, as that will 
show flatness and fineness of bone.” Now, this is quite 
right as far as the whole of the leg is concerned, but the 
above observations would lead any one to suppose that the 
bone from before backwards is wider than it is from side to 
side, which is not the case; for if a transverse section of the 
bone is made, it will be found that the front view is wider 
than a side view. Not so, however, with the shank-bone of 
the hind leg. 
The following, we believe, is universally admitted : 
“ In the racer, the leg must always be short, and the arm long. In¬ 
deed this rule holds good in reference to all animals in whom speed 
and durability require to be united ; and, for my part, 1 think this is 
by far the most advantageous arrangement for every description of 
horse.”—p. 59. 
In reference to contraction the author truly says— 
“ It appears to me that writers are not sufficiently precise in the use 
of the term, contraction. They appear to apply it indiscriminately to 
a natural development and a diseased condition of the heel. This I 
think is not right. The one might be called a narrow, and the other a 
contracted, heel. At all events, the same term should not be used in 
both cases—more especially as there is seldom any difficulty in distin- 
