A compendium of the veterinary art : containing plain and concise observations on the construction and management of the stable ... the structure and economy of the horse ... a copious materia medica and pharmacopœia / by James White.

  • White, James, -1825
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A compendium of the veterinary art : containing plain and concise observations on the construction and management of the stable ... the structure and economy of the horse ... a copious materia medica and pharmacopœia / by James White. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    productive of disease, and its total loss fatal to life. Ventilation is necessary all the year round: in the winter, for supplying pure air for the purpose of breathing in the place of that which is impure and unfit; and in the summer, not only for this pur- pose, but also to cool the stable as much as possible. Stables should, therefore, be constructed to admit both these purposes— in the summer to admit as much cool air as possible, and in the winter sufficient for the purpose of purity, without rendering the stable too cold, or occasioning draughts. It follows, however, that if we can ensure our end in cold weathei-, we can readily do so in hot weather, by means of the doors and windows. The heated foul air may be allowed to escape by means of a chimney, or square opening in the ceiling, communicating with the open ail', or it may be made in the form of a dome or cupola, which would be more ornamental. The chimney need not be open at the top, so as to admit the rain, but should be roofed, and have lateral openings by means of weather-boards, as they are termed. A still better plan is, by having smaller openings over each stall, any of which may be closed when the horse is absent. The admission of pure air is likewise to be provided for : if allowed to come in at the windows, there will be a great draught on the horse's hind quarters, where it is least required. The best plan is to admit it towards the animal's head, by means of a pipe or wooden box having a number of perforations, so that there may be no sudden draught in any direction. Cold air should not be allowed to enter the stable door or near the horse's heels, as this is very likely to produce grease, or chapped heels.— Ed.] A stable, when properly paved, and kept moderately clean, re- quires only a shallow wide gutter, twelve inches wide, and one inch deep. The best floor for a stable, by far, is hard brick; and, next to that, limestone, not less than one foot square. I have seen a stable belonging to Mr. Lovell of Wells, that is thus paved, but with wider stones, and so chipped as to have nume- rous small furrows, all of them tending towards the centre and back part, and I never before saw so clean or so nice a stable, except one belonging to Mr. Atkinson, at Cheddington, and that, I think, was superior to any I ever met with, especially in its interior arrangement. The floor of the stall should never incline more than one inch in a yard, and the inclination should be con- tinued back to the gutter only. Some litter should always be allowed for a horse to stale upon, which should be swept away as often as is necessary. This, with a pail or two of water thrown upon the flooi-, and swept off while the horse is at exercise, will keep the stable perfectly clean, and free from offensive smells. This plan can be further insured, and the litter saved, by means of small gratings, nine inches by four, placed in the middle ot the stall for horses, and at the back part for mares, covering a small
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