MR. BROAD IN REPLY TO MR. FLEMING. 
647 
^vhen stout tires are used, as they absorb the concussion. The 
light tires get loose much quicker than the. stout ones, from 
elongation consequent upon the repeated tappings or blows 
from the pavement, which does not affect the stout tires 
anything to the same degree. The same cause is in opera¬ 
tion upon the tires of locomotive railway engines; if they are 
allowed to work down below a certain guage there is always 
a danger of their becoming loose and flying off. 
M. Charlier, like most other writers on shoeing, claims as 
one of the advantages of his shoe, that it admits of expansion 
of the foot. I think it is quite time that every member of 
the profession should thoroughly understand that no such 
function exists, nor any necessity for it. 
Such doctrines have not been taught at our veterinary 
schools of late years. It is very easily demonstrated by 
watching the opening and closing of a sand crack at the toe 
of a hind foot. 
G amgee, in his ‘ Domestic Animals,’ enters into the 
])hysiology, showing that no such action takes place. There 
is no doubt that the greatest evil in the operation of shoeing 
is the knife. When feet are strong and the soles not touched 
with a knife a plain shoe without seating or bevelling is far 
preferable, as the sole will take a part of the pressure with 
.advantage to the foot. 
There are many feet which will never become strong 
either in wall or sole undei any management; such feet 
require a seated shoe, as when the soles are thin they 
cannot bear pressure. One side nailing is a fallacy which 
originated from the false notion of expansion ; nails ought to 
be distributed round the foot, and as few used as possible. 
Turning up the toe in ordinary shoeing is a crotchet; it is only 
necessary with bad goers. I have seen it several times stated 
that unshod colts and horses which have been a long time at 
grass wear their toes off in that turn-up fashion. If the 
writers of those articles were to examine for themselves, 
instead of copying from others, they would not make such 
mistakes. I have thoroughly examined the question prac¬ 
tically, and find it very rare to find one so worn; the 
quarters of the foot is the part mostly broken away at grass. 
If the knife was used less and leather soles more, there 
would be a much less number of lame horses. Thin soled 
horses not shod with leather are benefited by cowdung 
stopping, as it increases the growth of horn. 
Feet become contracted atrophied ”) from two causes— 
excessive work, and confinement in a stall without exercise, 
either of which mav ju’oduce a degenerated and unhealthy 
XLii. 45 
