STABLE OPERATIONS. 95 



spiration. Evaporation commences : the moisture with which 

 the skin is charged is converted into vapor, and as it assumes 

 this form it robs the horse of a large quantity of heat. If he 

 be kept in motion while this cooling and drying process is 

 going on, an extra quantity of heat is formed, which may 

 very well be spared for converting the water into vapor, while 

 sufficient is retained to keep the skin comfortably warm. 

 Everybody must understand the difference between sitting 

 and walking- in wet clothes. If the horse be allowed to stand 

 while wet, evaporation still goes on. Every particle of mois- 

 ture takes away so much heat, but there is no stimulus to pro- 

 duce the formation of an extra quantity of heat ; in a little 

 while, the skin becomes sensibly cold, the blood circulates 

 slowly, there is no demand for it on the surface, nor among 

 the muscles, and it accumulates upon internal organs. By- 

 and-by the horse takes a violent shivering fit ; after this has 

 continued for a time, the system appears to become aware 

 that it has been insidiously deprived of more heat than it can 

 conveniently spare ; then a process is set up for repairing the 

 loss, and for meeting the increased demand. But before this 

 calorifying process is fairly established, the demand for an 

 extra quantity of heat has probably ceased. The skin has 

 become dry, and there is no longer any evaporation. Hence 

 the heat accumulates, and the horse is fevered. I do not 

 pretend to trace events any further. The next thing of w^hich 

 we become aware is generally an inflammation of the feet, 

 the throat, the lungs, or some other part. But we can not 

 tell what is going on between the time that the body becomes 

 hot, and the time that inflammation appears. I am not even 

 certain that the other changes take place in the order in 

 w^hich they are enumerated ; nor am I sure that there is no 

 other change. The analysis may be defective ; something 

 may take place that I have not observed, and possibly the loss 

 of heat by evaporation may not always produce these effects 

 without assistance. It is positively known, however, that 

 there is danger in exposing a horse to cold when he is not in 

 motion ; and, which is the same thing, it is equally, indeed 

 more dangerous to let him stand when he is wet. If he can 

 not be dried by manual labor, he must be moved about till he 

 is dried by evaporation. 



Wtsping a Wet Horse. — When there is sufficient strength 

 in the stable, the proper way to dry the horse is by rubbing 

 him with wisps. After removing all the water that can be 

 taken away with the scraper, two men commence on each 



