328 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



passage by the side of which passes the surface channels. 

 This passage or alley- way is used almost entirely for milking 

 purposes ; it should have a sKght slope from the wall to the 

 surface channel which runs behind the animals, so as to 

 prevent wet lodging there when the floor is flushed. 



The hygiene of the cow-house floor is of more importance 

 than that of stables, for the reason that the place is in 

 constant occupation; stables get several hours a day for 

 ventilation and drying, but not so the cow-house. Both 

 for the sake of cleanliness to the cows, and the purity of 

 the atmosphere, the floors must be kept perfectly clean, and 

 this can only be effected by means of water, when dealing 

 with the semi-liquid fteces of the cow. 



Taps are therefore required at convenient intervals, with 

 a length of hose-pipe ; but this matter will be dealt with 

 under its proper section, our object at present is to draw 

 attention to the reason for an absolutely impervious floor, 

 and the best arrangement of the building to secure it being 

 kept clean. 



The superficial area laid down here for each cow, calcu- 

 lating everything, amounts to 66 square feet per head. We 

 should have preferred making it up to 100 square feet, but 

 have confined ourselves to the irreducible sanitary minimum. 

 The actual area of the stall, including the manger, is 

 28 square feet, without the manger 22 square feet. The 

 cubic contents depends upon the height of the building. 

 With an open roof, 12 feet to the spring of the roof is a 

 sanitary ideal height for a wall ; but to reduce the cost of 

 construction, the minimum height should be 10 feet, while 

 the height of the roof angle may be taken at 6 feet. 



This gives 1,056 cubic feet per head, which is the very 

 least to be demanded, while personally we should like to 

 see the cubic space still larger, which, of course, is obtained 

 by greater width of building. 



Mr. Lloyd, Veterinary Inspector for the City of Sheffield,* 



* In a valuable commmiication dealing with ' The Model Regula- 

 tions relating to Dairies, Cow-sheds, and Milk-shops,' delivered to the 

 Lancashire Veterinary Medical Association, April, 1904. 



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