360 VETEKINARY HYGIENE 



be the rule. In the highest class of stable it is not per- 

 mitted on the score of appearance, with the result that 

 traps and subsoil drainage have to be introduced. Where 

 no such prejudice exists the rule is to convey nothing 

 underground which can be carried on the surface. 



Surface drains are made of various materials, in stables 

 the most common and durable being some form of vitrified 

 brick ; in cow-houses a cemented gutter running behind 

 the animals serves to take both the solid and liquid excreta. 



In the case of stables the open channel runs at the rear 

 of the stalls, and receives at right angles to it the drainage 

 from each stall or box. The material from the stall or 

 box finds its way into the surface channel by the inclina- 

 tion given to the floor at the time it is paved. 



We have touched on this question under stable con- 

 struction, and insisted that no greater inclination should 

 be given to the floor than is absolutely necessary ; the 

 short length of a stall does not necessitate a steep gradient ; 

 provided the stall is lower behind than it is in front, the 

 direction of the flow of urine is assured, and more than 

 this is not required. Sometimes the stall slopes not onl}' 

 from front to rear, but from side to side towards the centre ; 

 there is no objection to this provided the slope is not 

 excessive, but as a rule it is too great. If the centre of the 

 stall is half an inch lower than the sides, the direction 

 taken by the fluid must be towards the centre. 



There is no other object in sloping the sides of the stall 

 towards the centre than that of directing the urine away 

 from the woodwork of the stall, though this can now be 

 guarded against by using stall fittings which do not quite 

 touch the ground. 



The surface drainage of boxes is generally an incline 

 from three or four sides towards the centre, but the slope 

 required is very slight. 



In all the cases considered it has been assumed that the 

 ordinary vitrified brick has been used either plain or 

 grooved. With the latter there should be no difficulty in 

 manufacturing bricks with a graduated depth of groove, 



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