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wide space between the stalls and the opposite 

 wall. Even the construction of the stalls is a 

 matter of importance : the drain should be in the 

 centre, and the paving should be as level as is 

 consistent with the drainage. As stables are 

 usually paved, almost every horse stands wuth his 

 fore feet in an unnatural position, almost resting 

 on his toes : the pain of this, especially to a tired 

 horse, must be considerable ; and it is very proba- 

 ble that permanent injury is often occasioned by 

 it, both to the foot and the joint. 



Due attention should be given to the admission 

 of sufficient light : the eye is seriously affected by 

 sudden change from darkness to light. Every 

 body has heard the story of the Bastile prisoner, 

 struck permanently blind by sudden restoration to 

 the light of day ; for every body has heard some 

 juvenile platform orator, when asserting the natural 

 right to liberty, entangle himself in this unlucky 

 illustration, till he has locked himself up too 

 close in the Bastile to find his way out again ! 

 but every body does not know, that after the 

 operation for the cataract, the great anxiety of the 

 surgeon is to exclude the light : the patient being 

 kept in a dark room for a week or two. It is 

 precisely on the same principle of abrupt change 

 being mischievous to the eye, that I condemn the 



