Account of a Stercorary, 289 



waterecL His mode of irrigating, is excellent ; and 

 nswers all objections on that score. I cannot con- 

 ceive, however, unless the extraordinary depth de- 

 mands it, that the throwing over the muck is indis- 

 pensable. Yet this must b€ regulated by experience. 

 I know none so deep as the one he describes ; nor 

 should I covet one of similar depth. Nor is the area 

 of any within my knowledge, so extensive ; though to 

 this I do not object. The moisture, both intrinsic and 

 adventitious, is retained in deep stercoraries ; and there- 

 by fermentation is checked ; and a necessity for either 

 throwing over, or long detention of the materials in the 

 pit, created. 



In all those I have ever known, under barns, or 

 stables, I have not found an exception to the mischief 

 of the dry rot ; in a greater or less degree. They 

 were however, neither thrown over, nor irrigated. 

 The fumes of the hot muck, fermenting under car- 

 riage houses in cities, always mould and tarnish car- 

 riages, harness, and tlieir furniture. In barns and sta- 

 bles, the air is nauseously infected ; and the health of 

 horses and cattle have been considered as injured. 

 Veterinary writers constantly recommend the removal 

 even of foul litter, when horses or cattle are disordered; 

 especially in fevers affecting the eyes, and pulmonary 

 and iliac complaints. Few, if any, of such stercoraries 

 are so well ventilated, as is that of Mr. Quincy ; and 

 this is all-essential. One great advantage of those of 

 common depths, is that of superseding the costly ne- 

 cessity of throwing over the muck. It would be well, 

 if more communications were made ; that some ge- 



VOL. III. o o 



