948 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



a change in the weather sets in, the old lines should be 

 evacuated and fresh lines opened. As soon as the old 

 ground is evacuated it should be got ready for re-occupa- 

 tion ; there is ample labour on service but few implements 

 for cleaning up. 



Eesourcefulness, the sheet-anchor of soldiering, here 

 comes in, and scrapers and sweeping material must be 

 improvised ; there is no difficulty about the latter if bushes 

 exist, while the tin lining of biscuit boxes makes a useful 

 scraper. The material is collected at the end of the lines, 

 forage sacks being used in place of wheelbarrows, and 

 the manure when dry enough can be burned. 



The object of clearing the lines is not only to get rid of 

 the filth, but to prepare the old place for re- occupation 

 when the new lines get foul. 



The manure should always be collected and burned, it 

 both disposes of it, and in hot countries the smoke helps to 

 keep away flies. 



The water-supply on service is generally very unsatisfac- 

 tory ; rivers, streams, and ponds are the chief source of 

 supply, while in standing camps wells are frequently sunk. 

 On the question of water-supply in camp see the remarks 

 made under this head in dealing with Stationary Veterinary 

 Hospitals. 



Picketting. — The ordinary method of securing horses in 

 the open is by means of two ground lines, to one is attached 

 the head-rope, to the other the heel-rope. Heel-ropes are 

 not required when horses are doing regular work, they are 

 generally too tired to kick, and may therefore be dispensed 

 with. The worst line a horse can be tied up to is a ground 

 line, it stretches, the pegs give way, and worse than all 

 without heel-ropes the animal is liable to get its foot over 

 the head-rope, and inflict severe injury to the heel. 



This injury is known as a heel-rope gall, which is a mis- 

 nomer, it should either be called a head-rope gall, or 

 simply a heel-gall. It is a perfectly preventable injury, for 

 even without a heel-rope a gall from the head-rope is 

 impossible, if only it is not left too long. A head-rope of 



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