CHAPTER III

GENERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL OBSERVATIONS


The matter embraced by the heading of this chapter will offer for
discussion many subjects of great interest to the veterinary surgeon.
Around some of them debate has for many years waxed more than keen. Of the
points in dispute, some of them may be regarded as satisfactorily settled,
while others offer still further room for investigation.

In this volume we can only hope to deal with them in brief, and must select
such as appear to have the greatest bearing on the veterinarian's everyday
practice.

Always prolific of heated discussion has been one question: 'Are the horny
laminæ secreted by the sensitive?' To answer this satisfactorily, it will
be best to give a short account of the mode of production of the hoof in
general.


A. DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOOF.

Starting with the statement that it is epidermal in origin, we will
first consider the structure of the skin, and follow that with a brief
description of the structure and mode of growth of the human nail, a short
study of which will greatly assist us when we come to investigate the
manner of growth of the horse's hoof.