263 THE HORSE 
action of the skin, before the horse is introduced to the actual sweating- 
box—G. ‘The preparatory-box, H, may be fitted up like a common loose- 
box, and may be used as such, whenever the bath is not required, but the 
latter should have no manger or any other projecting body of metal, for 
when the heat is raised to 160°, the contact with the teeth and tongue is 
by no means pleasant. Tan forms the best material for the floor, or, if 
this cannot readily be obtained, sawdust will answer nearly as well, if the 
wetted parts are changed after each bath. A brick floor feels too warm to 
the feet, and when the bath is given very hot, it may injure them, if un- 
covered by some non-conductor of heat, so that it is better to avoid all 
risk, by using tan or sawdust. With this apparatus in working order, 
and the fire lighted in the stove A, the box H is heated to 80° or 90° 
of Fahrenheit, by robbing G of its warm air through the open door I, and 
the valves in the wall between the two to which I have already alluded. 
As soon as this is prepared, the horse is brought into it with his clothing 
on, and allowed to remain for a short time, which may be twenty minutes, 
half an hour, or an hour, according to the state of his skin, and the 
warmth of the box. As soon as he is settled in it, the clothes may all be 
removed, and here he may remain, with a whisp of hay in the rack, to 
amuse him, and chilled water in the tank, till his skin shows evident 
symptoms of breaking out, and the bath is prepared, that is, until the 
latter is raised to a temperature of 140° at the least. To effect this the 
door I and the adjacent valves may have been closed, if necessary ; for a 
small box once raised to 80° or 90°, will keep its temperature with the 
horse in it fur the time which is required. The groom must be careful 
not on any account to take his charge into the bath til) his skin is begin- 
ning to sweat, for if he does, the blood may be driven too forcibly to the 
brain, without the relief which is afforded by the natural discharge from 
the skin, and dangerous mischief may be produced. On being taken into 
the bath G, a bucket of chilled water is placed within reach, and he is 
tied up with his head in the corner nearest the entrance door, which 
must be left open, so as to allow him plenty of fresh air. In about a 
quarter of an hour the sweat begins to pour out in large volumes, and 
this should be encouraged by friction with the hand, which may be 
guarded with horsehair gloves. As it becomes very profuse, a scraper 
may be applied occasionally, but two grooms, each with horsehair gloves 
on, will be able to remove it by keeping up continuous, deep, and steady 
pressure upon the skin, so as at once to squeeze out the watery particles 
from the hair, and to remove any scurf and other tenacious matters which 
accumulate there. According to the amount of reduction which is re- 
quired to be made in the fatty deposits, and to the action of the skin, will 
be the time required to be devoted to this operation, but in general it is 
eompleted in half an hour. Some horses, however, have been kept sweat- 
ing for a full hour, as I am informed, without apparent injury, and have 
afterwards gone out to exercise as full of life as ever. Indeed, it is said 
that the effect is usually to increase the spirits and liveliness of all the 
horses submitted to it. During the operation of the bath, the prepara- 
tory room should have had its doors and windows thrown freely open, and 
it should be left in this state when the horse returns to it, some grooms 
liking to have a strong draught through it while the horse is being cooled. 
In this process there is a considerable variation in the practices adopted in 
those stables where this novel kind of sweating is introduced. Some 
grooms wash the horse all over with cold water; others dash the water 
over the whole body the moment he comes from the bath, while a third 
