An essay on the knowledge of the ancients respecting the art of shoeing the horse, and of the probable period of the commencement of this art / [Bracy Clark].
- Bracy Clark
- Date:
- [1831]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: An essay on the knowledge of the ancients respecting the art of shoeing the horse, and of the probable period of the commencement of this art / [Bracy Clark]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![flexu articulorum evenerit. In primis igitur opus est vino vel aceto aut muria substringere, dein lipara et alborum emplastrorum tripheris vitiatam partem alere. Caeterum cerusse pars una, ammoniaci dimidia portio, myrti quod esse satis vedebitur, prassenti sunt auxilio: ammo- niacum itaque teritur in aqua, et cerusae permiscetur, et baccae myrti profunduntur.”*—Raelln Hippiatr. Lib. 2, p. 100. Apsyrtus lived in the time of Constantine, as we learn from Suidas, and also by his own confession in the preface to his work, having been employed with the army of this prince stationed on the Danube. The inconveniences he mentions as attending these defences were probably the true reason we hear so little of them, for they appear chiefly to have had recourse to them in case of necessity only, from abrasion of the roads, and great tenderness, and they afford sufficient proof that they knew not the use of nails as in this day: and hence, for long journeys, mules and asses were so much more employed, whose tough hoofs and less sensible feet could better endure the roads ; though it is likely their paved causeways were highly favourable to their horses, &c. going without shoes, being in effect, and also in appearance, except that the stones were thicker and not so large, like the flag-stone pavements of the present day; the naked hoofs upon such a surface, if kept clean, would not be much torn or rubbed, or nearly so much as on a road made of loose gravel. That the ancients defended their horses feet in this simple manner there can be little doubt; and as a sort of collateral confirmation, there is to be seen in the collection of pastes or impressions from * A'PYPTOY 7repi twv cnro 7r!§rje r) Secrpov tivoq teXckt/ulevcov—KEcjmX. p%. 'SiVfxfiaivu adiicriOrjvcu ra pEcroicvvia Ik Trig ImroTTESrig, rj SEcrpov rivog airo Ipavrog, rj a^OLvlov, kcu i] fivpaa cnroTriiTTEi, icai \piXa y'lVETcu ra tov kwottXov vevpia. idvSvvov ovv e£,ei Scacjrcovricrai eI ev apcpoTEpoig tovto yiyovEv, SeT ovv 7rpwrov vvocrTvcpEtv o'ivcp, rj 6£ft, rj o^aXpy. t7Tftra ralg Xnrapaig, koituiv Xeijkujv e/u7rXaaTp(ov ratg TpvcjrEpcug ^prjcrcpat. aicpcvg Settoiei to tov xpippvS'iov plpog tv, appwviaKOv to rjpicrv, uvpcrivrig to apkovv. Xeavag ovv ev vSari to appwviaKov p'l^ov tw ipippvSicp Trapa^Ewv to pvpaiov, Kat XP<^*—Scrip. Grcec. Veterin. p. 256. Ed. Basil. 1537.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31872931_0031.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
