194 STABLES. 



animals from the chilly night breeze. Although this form of 

 paralysis is very rare in England, the knowledge of its cause 

 and means of prevention furnishes us with a lesson which can 

 be usefully applied even in this country. 



As sunlight promotes the health of horses, the south or 

 south-west is, as a rule, the best aspect for stables. 



We may assume from the foregoing remarks that an ideal 

 site for stables would be on the side of a hill sloping down- 

 wards to the south or south-west, and on gravel or sand. 



The presence of trees, shrubs, or underwood near a stable 

 might in many cases be objected to with reason, on account 

 of the obstruction it offers to the free circulation of air ; but 

 no exception in this respect should, I think, be taken to fir 

 trees. Their trunks offer but little impediment to the due 

 circulation of air ; their lofty foliage breaks the strength of 

 high winds, and the volatile oils which escape from them, and 

 which perfume the surrounding atmosphere, have probably a 

 good sanitary influence on the horses stabled in their vicinity. 



DRAINAGE. 



The drainage of a stable may be defined as the removal 

 by gravitation of fluid which is on or near the surface of 

 the stable. 



Drainage may be carried out in two ways, namely, more or 

 less horizontally, which is the only efficient method for the 

 removal of fluid containing animal and vegetable matter, and 

 more or less vertically, as we see when rain falls on sandy 

 ground. In both cases, the removal should be distant as well 

 as complete. The depth of the surface water, which as a rule 

 is shown with a fair amount of accuracy by the distance 

 the surface of adjacent wells is from the surface of the 

 ground, is a reliable measure of the efficiency of the vertical 

 drainage, which, as I have just indicated, is applicable to the 

 removal of only comparatively pure water. In order to keep 



