REVIEWS. 
37 
A Treatise on Horse-slioeing and Lameness. By Joseph 
Gamgee, Veterinary Surgeon; formerly Lecturer on the 
Principles and Practice of Farriery in the New Veterinary 
College, Edinburgh. Copiously illustrated. London : 
Longmans, Green, and Co. 1871. 
It seems somewhat remarkable that the necessary work of 
nailing an iron rim to the ground surface of the horse’s foot, 
to prevent undue wear of the horn, should have caused so 
much controversy and called forth so much ingenuity, appa¬ 
rently with so little result. 
From the dawn of veterinary literature until now every 
writer on the art of farriery has pointed out errors and abuses, 
and has suggested remedies; nor can we perceive that 
modern writers find less occasion for complaining of the 
wrongness of principle and practice in our present method 
than those of the olden time. Mr. Gamgee’s work is like 
the rest in this respect, he also points to errors of principle 
and practice, and contends for improvement. At page 31 
he says: “ Look in our streets; consult owners of horses; 
and what is the result ? Lameness, the common effect, which 
damages and destroys more horses than all the other diseases 
put together to which they are liable. The cause is bad 
shoeing; the remedy must be good shoeing. Veterinary 
surgeons appear to be growing up in the idea that the forge 
is not a gentlemanly part of their business. It is certainly 
a very important one, and if they persist in neglecting it I 
see no alternative but to organise means for educating work¬ 
ing farriers, who are certainly much in need of, and deserving 
the opportunities for,' technical education, which is now 
engaging so much attention throughout the country. Such 
a consummation would be of the highest conceivable benefit 
to farriers themselves and the community.” 
With this last suggestion we agree. Much benefit would 
certainly arise from an improved technical education of the 
horse-shoer. Veterinary surgeons in active practice, whether 
or not they consider horse-shoeing a gentlemanly part of 
their business, have generally other matters to attract their 
attention and absorb their time, and therefore their influence on 
the practice of the shoer’s art is trifling. We do not doubt the 
pecuniary advantages which arise from the association of the 
profession of a veterinary surgeon with the business of the 
forge, but we much question if the existence of any other 
benefit, either to the professor or the art, can be traced to the 
connection. 
