STABLING. 195 



Upon entering the major part, (particu- 

 larly if the door has been a few minutes 

 cloftd and is opened for your admiffion) the 

 olflidory and optic nerves are inftantane- 

 oufly afiaiied with the volatile effluvia of 

 dujig and urincy equal to the exhalation from 

 a flock bottle of hartfhorn at the fliop of 

 any chemift in the neighbourhood. Here 

 you find from ten or twelve to twenty 

 horfeSj ftandin^ as hot. and everv crevice 

 of the flable as clofcly flopped, as if the 

 very external air w^as infed:ious, and its ad- 

 miffion mufl inevitably propagate a conta-^ 

 gion. Naturally inquifitive to difcover what 

 irritating caufe has laid fuch hold of your 

 moft prominent featurCj you obferve each 

 horfe flanding upon an enormous load of 

 litter, that by cccafional additions (with- 

 out a regular and daily removal from the 

 bottom) has acquired both the fubftance and, 

 property of a moderate hot-bed^ 



Thus furrounded with the vapours con- 

 flantly ariflng from an accumulation of the 

 mofl powerful volatile falts, ftand thefe poor 

 animals a kind of patient facrifice to ignorance 

 and indifcretion ; and that the meafure of 



O 2 mifery 



