THE HEIGHT. 



809 



millimetres, to which is attached another, 

 but horizontal, rod that can be lowered or 

 raised at will upon the former, and is 

 fastened by means of a screw. 



The simplest of the hippometers is the 

 standard. It consists of a flattened rod, 

 graduated upward and downward, upon 

 which freely glides a horizontal bar or 

 gauge, that is, consequently, always per- 

 pendicular to it. A pressure-screw serves 

 to fix the gliding bar upon the vertical rod, 

 when the former has been gradually low- 

 ered upon the latter to the level of the 

 withers. The standard would be an accu- 

 rate instrument were it not for the in- 

 convenience of always placing it in the 

 perfectly vertical position. 



For the standard, therefore, the hippo- 

 meter with a pedestal has been substituted. 

 In the latter (Fig. 330), the vertical rod, a, 

 is thick, quadrangular, and inflexible, and 

 rests upon a small pedestal, b. The hori- 

 zontal arm, c, glides upon the former, and 

 is supported there by a pressure-screw, d, 

 which can fix it upon any point of the 

 scale. 



The graduation is expressed in centi- 

 metres, and at times in millimetres. We 

 may mention that the proclamation of the 

 French Minister of War, dated June 10, 

 1847, requires that the height be taken in 

 centimetres and not in millimetres. When 

 the number of millimetres is above five, it is 

 counted as a centimetre ; if the number of 

 millimetres is below five, they are entirely 

 disregarded, and only the even centimetres 

 are counted. 



This hippometer can scarcely be em- 

 ployed except in large establishments, 

 such as remount depots, schools, large 

 sales-stables, etc. It is too cumbersome, 



J6C 



too i 



FIG. 331. Hip- 

 pometer without 

 pedestal, which 

 can be used as a 

 compass of thick- 

 ness by simply 

 raising or lower- 

 ing the arm B. 



