14 The Management and Diseases of the Dog. 
fern. The bench is composed of a loose wooden floor, on 
planks separated a short distance, and nailed across joists. 
(Fig. 1.) 
1 
—— 
Fic 1. 
The top line 1 is the bench, the oblique lines 2 2 the 
sloping asphalte-floor. 
For full-grown dogs he uses four-legged bedsteads simi- 
lar to a table, with a ledge round the outside to prevent 
them getting their legs between it and the wall, and 
sufficient space is left to walk on two sides of the said 
table. 
DISINFECTION. 
The disinfection of a kennel is a matter of great import- 
ance, for unless the habitation and ground is sweet and 
clean we cannot expect our dogs to be healthy and pleasant 
companions. 
An agent which possesses an overpowering smell, con- 
cealing an offensive one without destroying its disease- 
producing power, is not a true disinfectant. The infective 
principle of contagion or infection must be met by a 
stronger and exterminating force. 
When disease invades a kennel, especially if it be of an 
infectious or contagious character, the employment of 
genuine disinfectants is imperative. Unsanitary surround- 
ings are the fruitful cause of the majority of diseases and 
their propagation. Cloaking a poison does not destroy it 
any more than a coat over dirty under garments cleanses 
them. The offensive thing, not merely its smell, must be 
removed. An agent which will absorb and at the same 
time render inert a dangerous scptic organism is of valuable 
hygienic assistance. Badly or unsanitarily constructed 
animal domiciles are unfortunately the rule rather than the 
