PEELIMINABT EEMAEKS. 455 



2nd. — Slips on the Pavement of the Stable. — The majority 

 of stables are ill-constructed; few are rightly constructed in 

 every essential. Prom the pavement being too steep, ar greasy 

 from the accumulation of dirt, horses slip, and sometimes 

 severely injure themselves. Broken knees, and even fractures, 

 occur from causes of this nature. 



3rd. — Injuries from the Timber and Iron WbrJc used in the 

 construction and division of the Stalls. — The necessity for attend- 

 ing to causes of this nature will be exemplified the best by the 

 short account of a case of injury which resulted in death, as a 

 consequence of that carelessness so common in these matters. 

 Without stating lengthy details, we may relate — that in order 

 to strengthen a stall post a strong fiat piece of iron, thin at the 

 top, and eight or ten inches in length, was let into a large stone 

 at the bottom end of the stall post. The iron was let into the 

 stone at its lower end to the depth of about three inches. 

 Down the fiat surface of the iron a number of small holes were 

 bored, through which were passed an equal number of screws 

 into the wooden post immediately behind the iron ; so far all 

 very well. In course of time, however, the screws fell out, and 

 the post dropt as before to one side, and left the iron standing 

 alone. As usual, in such cases, the matter was not noticed, 

 until one morning a servant man, on entering the stable, found 

 one of the horses lying dead. Upon removing the horse the 

 iron in question was found within its body. The animal, in 

 lying down, had dropt upon the projecting iron, which had 

 pierced the skin and muscles in the region of the flank, had 

 torn open the large vein situate immediately contiguous to the 

 spinal column, and the horse had bled to death, without again 

 rising from the ground. It is perhaps needless to say that 

 attention was given to the projecting metal after this, and that 

 the stall post was made secure forthwith. 



