600 
REVIEW. 
guishing between a foot which is narrow by nature and one which is 
contracted by disease.’’ 
“ The foot which is by nature mule-shaped is not diseased, and there¬ 
fore is not lame. We may call it a narrow foot, but we have no right 
to call it a contracted one. It would just be as reasonable to apply 
the same term to a narrow counter, or a thin shoulder. The word, 
contracted, should be used only when the parts are diseased. The in¬ 
ternal and external parts of a natural, mule-shaped foot are all made 
on the same scale, and consequently bear such a proportion to each 
other, that they work in perfect harmony.”—pp. 63, 64. 
Some observations are made on shoeing, and, brief as 
they are, they will assist the uninitiated in the art so far as 
to enable him to superintend the shoeing of his own horses. 
The form and position of the fore leg, and also its action, 
are so admirably described, that if the description is duly 
regarded, approximation to perfection in most cases will be 
obtained. 
On the form of the back of the horse the author has, 
doubtlessly, made some very just remarks, but we cannot 
help observing that he seems to forget the relative position 
of the vertebrae of the horse as compared with those of 
man. In the latter they are so arranged as to form a column, 
and thus the weight is communicated from bone to bone, 
while in the former they are so placed that the weight on 
the back is supported by the vertebral ligaments and the 
muscles. And we are doubtful if the symmetry of the animal 
would not be interfered with if such means were resorted to 
as the author advocates, unless greater care and judgment 
are exercised than is generally the case with those into whose 
hands the breaking of young horses commonly falls. 
The form and position of the hind quarter and leg are 
alluded to with equal clearness as evinced in the description 
of the fore limb. And when explaining the proper position 
of the several bones, the author seems fully aware of the 
importance of good leverage and well-developed, long muscles. 
Referring to the tibia, Dr. Carson says, “ The muscles of 
the tibia terminate in sinews, some of which are inserted 
into the point of the hock.” Such, however, is not the 
case; and although this anatomical error does not detract 
materially from the value of the book, we, nevertheless, have 
thought proper to notice it. 
