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 76 than all his far-fetched inventions. On the other hand, it is refreshing to find him speak thus: ‘The practice of hot fitting and clipping’—that is, raising a clip on the toe, and sometimes also on both quarters—‘is very destructive. Burning the sole will, in time, partially destroy the sensitive laminae, and impair the membranous lining underneath the coffin bone, as well as close the pores of the horn, causing the roof to become hard, dry and brittle. It also impedes, as a necessary consequence, the healthy growth of the hoof.’

‘The advocates of hot fitting present many specious reasons for the furtherance of this practice. It is alleged that shoes cannot be fitted so rapidly nor as closely by any means other than that of hot fitting; and this is generally true, for, by this means, the hoof is burned to correspond with the inequalities which occur on the surface of the shoe, until the latter is thoroughly imbedded in the horn. On the other hand, however, this fusing of the horn is in opposition to its right growth and operation, and is the prolific source of many evils and abuses.’

Although a veterinary surgeon certifies to the correctness of the anatomical descriptions contained in the book, we may premise that he does not guarantee everything else; or we should scarcely meet with such a passage as this:  ‘The shoe should ordinarily be perfectly flat on the ground-wearing part, but is to be worn concave on the surface next the foot, else it will be apt to produce lameness by pressing on the sole. I have shown that, in a sound foot, the