NOTITIA VENATICA. 61 



been sufferers as well as the hounds ; the latter fare better now, but the people must 

 either take the lead as usual or get water where they can. The locality or situation 

 causes the kennel lameness, there can be no doubt ; and I am convinced that no arti- 

 ficial means can- make a lame kennel a sound one. You may build it with marble 

 and alabaster, and heat it with fire — all won't do. This soil is a poor forest sand, 

 with peat earth, &c. We have about four or five couple now lame. 



" I am, sir, your obedient, humble, servant, 



" Charles Davis." 



It is the custom with many huntsmen to wash theii* hounds in warm 

 water every day after hunting, previous to shutting them up, and I have 

 known this practice pursued by some men for a very great length of 

 time without any ill consequences arising from it ; whUe other persons 

 will teU you that it is a cei'tain plan to produce lameness and disease, 

 and that they prefer a little natural dirt to bad condition, as some of the 

 Old School term it. Nevertheless, I cannot consider that the removal 

 of dirt by a little clean water can be attended by bad results, if the 

 hounds are afterwards attended to as they ought to be. 



Hounds, after being washed and fed, sho\dd be shut up in a loarni 

 lodging-room, well strawed, but at the same time well ventilated, for 

 about two hours : they should then be moved out into the great drawing 

 court for a few minutes, and allowed to stale ; after that they may be 

 placed in their proper lodging-room for the night, the rest-pack having 

 been removed from it only a sufficient time to allow the bed to be well 

 shaken up. This plan will prevent their being chilled ; but, to carry 

 it into effect, there shoidd always be a spare lodging-room, so that the 

 rest-hounds may be shut up dry. 



When Jack Wood was huntsman to the Warwickshire hounds, he 

 invariably had the pack washed in warm water after each hunting day : 

 they were lifted up into a large tub, which held about two couples at a 

 time, and their legs, thighs, and beUies well washed with a brush ; such 

 as were very dirty were even washed over the back, but no shoidder 

 lameness was ever the result of this method. William Boxall, who suc- 

 ceeded him in that office, also pursued the same system without any bad 

 effects ; and a few years after, when entering the kennel on my return 

 from hunting with Thomas Day — Avho had been first whipper-in, and 

 who was promoted at the time when William Boxall relinquished that 

 situation — I observed that he still kept up the system of washing, but 

 only such as were very dirty were lifted into the bath ; the rest were 

 moved round the court in marching order, and, as they passed, warm 

 water was dashed against their legs and beUies with a large hand-bowl, 

 care being taken not to wet their backs more than could be helped. 

 During the twelve years that I was in the habit of not only hunting with 

 these hounds, but also of continually passing many hours in the kennel, 

 I never was aware of shoulder lameness being detected amongst them 

 excepting in cases of kicks from horses and other accidents.* Dming 

 the period that I kept foxhounds myself, I usually pursued the system 



* One cause of casual lameness amongst hounds arises very frequently from the 

 doorways, particularly of the lodging-rooms, being too narrow, and from their being 

 allowed to come ripping out, belter skelter, when moved by the huntsman. 



