116 TllANSLATlOXS THOM CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 
acting on the skin, often eause cracked heels, furuncles about 
the coronet, and ulcers on the legs. Trimming of the legs 
should, therefore, be avoided in Avintcr, in order to preserve 
the feet and legs in a state compatible with their functions. 
The washing of the legs, or taking the horses to the river, 
in order to cleanse them, has, on the contrary, a healthy 
reaction on the tissues. It is therefore advantageous; but 
chilling of the legs should be carefully avoided. In like manner 
regular work or moderate exercise is also necessary to the 
health of the horse and the preservation of his limbs, as the 
activity of the circulation and nutrition is thereby promoted. 
Under pressure the hoof expands at the coronet, the coronary 
ligament becomes prominent and turgescent; new hoof is 
thereby secreted, which covers a circumference in proportion 
to the volume of the organ in its normal condition. Long- 
continued rest, on the contrary, renders the circulation inac¬ 
tive, diminishes the nutrition of the parts, reduces the size of 
the coronary ligament, and the circle of new hoof secreted is, 
in proportion, small, and the horny box becomes at length 
reduced in capacity, by which the parts contained in it are 
compressed, and the freedom of action is lost. The contrac¬ 
tion of the foot and the reduced size of the hoof, in a lame 
leg, have no other origin ; moderate exercise is, therefore, 
beneficial to conserve the feet of the horse in a healthy state. 
Under the influence of dry heat the hoof becomes hard, 
brittle, and reduced in size; but it does not, however, undergo 
this physical change in a sudden and marked manner, unless 
other circumstances occur to contribute to it. 
The hoof is united to the subjacent tissue by an infinity of 
small prolongations, which yield to pressure by the imbibing 
of moisture,—apt to be lost by ordinary evaporation; but 
if the crust or wall of the hoof has lost its thickness, or, 
on the other hand, the outer covering has been removed by 
rasping the feet up to the hair, by which the wall is rendered 
less permeable; and if,besides these causes, the animal has been 
standing inactive on dry litter, experience and observation 
prove that in a verv short time the hoof will become dry and 
contracted. This modification in the form and size of the 
hoof determines, first, pressure on the parts, and afterwards 
lameness. It is, therefore, objectionable to place fresh animals 
in those conditions which cause them to lose the moisture 
of their hoofs. If it is impossible to put horses which are 
devoted to the service of the rich otherwise than on dry litter, 
it would be easy to wash their feet once a day, at least, with 
clean water, and not to allow them to be pared out, as is 
recommended by Mr. Miles, so much in repute at the present 
