TREATMENT OF SICK DOGS 115 



respecting dogs travelling by rail, and advise all owners 

 of small and valuable dogs to provide comfortable padded 

 travelling-baskets for them, as the discomforts they go 

 through and the fright they suffer often cause nervous 

 diseases in dogs, from which they do not always recover, be- 

 sides the risk of catching infectious diseases, mange and dis- 

 temper in particular. The railway companies ought to be 

 made to provide comfortable berths for their canine pas- 

 sengers; and as so much has been written at various 

 times, and again quite recently, about the disgraceful 

 accommodation provided for dogs, it is surprising the 

 railway companies have not altered their arrangements ; 

 for, as a rule (there are one or two exceptions, of course), 

 only small, dark, badly-ventilated holes, placed generally 

 over the brake of the train, are provided, in which the poor 

 creatures are half stifled and frightened to death. One 

 often reads of dogs being taken out dead at the end of the 

 journey. No water is given them. It is a most inhuman 

 arrangement, and no valuable dog should be allowed to 

 travel in such a disgraceful way^ — the tariff for which is 

 very high. There are proper horse-boxes. Why not a com- 

 partment fitted up for dogs, with comfortable rugs, pans of 

 water, and, instead of chaining them, have compartments 

 with doors, and plenty of ventilation, the compartments 

 well cleansed and disinfected three times a week ? Of course 

 toy dogs should be provided with padded baskets if sent 

 per rail, and care should be taken not to place parcels 

 and boxes on the top of them in the luggage van, which 

 I have seen. Ladies travelling could always take their 

 doggies with them, if they had nice baskets for them, 

 though often even to that there are disagreeables attached; 

 and I saw a very good suggestion just lately — that the 

 railway companies should set apart one carriage for dog- 

 owners who wish their animals to travel with them, as 

 dog possessors are always sympathetic with one another- — 

 I do not mean for the very large dogs, as they would be 

 better in comfortable compartments, and there would be no 

 fear of annoying fellow-passengers such as that exquisite 



