APPENDIX.
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Coach-horse,s.A horse used for coaches.
This animal has fully shared in the progress of improvement, and is as different from what he was fifty years ago as it is possible to conceive. The clumsy-barrelled, cloddy-shouldered, round-legged, black family horse, neither a coach nor a dray-horse, but something between both, as fat as an ox, and, with all his pride and prancing at first starting, not equal to more than six miles an hour, and knocking-up with one hard day’s work, is no more seen; and we have, instead of him, an animal as tall, deep-chested, rising in the withers, slanting in the shoulders, flat in the legs, with even more strength, and with treble the speed.
There is a great deal of deception, however, even in the best of these improved coach-horses. They prance it nobly through the streets; and they have more work in them than the old clumsy, sluggish breed; but they have not the endurance that could be wished; and a pair of poor post-horses would, at the end of the second day, beat them hollow.
The knee-action, and high lifting of the feet, in the carriage-horse is deemed an excellence, because it adds to the grandeur of his appearance; but, as has already been stated, it is necessarily accompanied by much wear and tear of the legs and feet, and this is very soon apparent.
The principal points in the coach-horse are substance well placed, a deep and well-proportioned body, bone under the knee, and sound, open, tough feet.
The origin of the better kind of coach-horse is the Cleveland-bay, confined principally to Yorkshire and Durham, with, perhaps, Lincolnshire on one side, and Northumberland on the other, but difficult to meet with pure in either county. The Cleveland mare is crossed by a three-fourth, or thoroughbred horse of sufficient substance and height, and the produce is the coach-horse most in repute, with his arched crest and high action. From the thorough-bred of sufficient height, but not of so much substance, we obtain the four-in-hand, and superior curricle-horse.
From less height and more substance, we have the hunter and better sort of hackney; and, from the half-bred, we derive the machiner, the poster, and the common carriage-horse; indeed, Cleveland, and the Vale of Pickering, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, may be considered as the most decided breeding country in England for coach-horses, hunters, and hackneys. The coach-horse is nothing more than a tall, strong, over-sized hunter. The hackney has many of the qualities of the hunter on a small scale.
How far we are carrying supposed improvement too far, and sacrificing strength and usefulness to speed, is a question not difficult to resolve. The rage for rapid travelling is the bane of the post-master, the destruction of the horse, and a disgrace to the English character.
There is no truth so easily proved, or so painfully felt by the post-master, at least in his pocket, as that it is the pace that kills. A horse at a dead pull, or at the beginning of his pull, is enabled, by the force of his muscles, to throw a certain weight into the collar. If he walk four miles in the hour, some part of that muscular energy must be expended in the act of walking; and, consequently, the power of drawing must be proportionally diminished. If he trot eight miles in the hour, more animal power is expended in the trot, and less remains for the draught; but the draught continues the same, and, to enable him to accomplish his work, he must tax his energies to a degree that is cruel in itself, and that must speedily wear him out.
Let it be supposed—what every horse cannot accomplish—that he shall be able, by fair exertion and without distress, to throw, at a dead pull, a weight into his collar, or exert a force equal to two hundred and sixteen pounds; or, in other words, let him be able to draw a load which requires a force of two hundred and sixteen pounds to move. Let him next walk at the rate of four miles in an hour; what force will he then be able to employ? We have taken away some to assist him in walking, and we have left him only ninety-six pounds, being not half of that which he could exert when he began his pull. He shall quicken his pace to six miles an hour—more energy must be exerted to carry him over this additional ground. How much has he remaining to apply to the weight behind him? Fifty-four pounds only. We will make the six miles an hour ten; for it seems now to be the fashion for the fast coach, and for almost every coach, and every vehicle to attempt this pace. How stands the account with the poor beast? We have left him a power equal to thirty-two pounds only to be employed for the purpose of draught.
The load which a horse can draw is about fifteen times greater than the power exerted, supposing the road to be hard and level, and the carriage to run with little friction; and the horse, which at starting, can throw into the collar a weight or force equal to two hundred and sixteen pounds, will draw a load of three thousand two hundred. Let him, however, be urged on at the rate of ten miles in the hour—deduct the power used in swiftness of pace from the sum total of that which he possesses, and what remains? not a sixth part—not that which is equal to a quarter of a ton—or, if it be a stage-coach, the energy exerted in draught by the four horses will not be equal to a ton.
The coach, and its passengers and its luggage, weigh more than this, and the whole is still drawn on, and must be so. Whence comes the power? From the over-strained exertion, the injury, the torture, the destruction of the horse. That which is true of the coach-horse, is equally true of every other. Let each reader apply it to his own animal, and act as humanity and interest dictate.
Many a horse used on our public roads is unable to throw all his natural power or weight into the collar. He is tender-footed—lame; but he is bought at little price, and he is worked on the brutal and abominable principle, that he may be “whipped sound.” And so apparently he is. At first he sadly halts; but, urged by the torture of the lash, he acquires a peculiar habit of going. The faulty limb appears to keep pace with the others, but no stress or labour is thrown upon it, and he gradually contrives to make the sound limbs perform among them all the duties of the unsound one; and thus he is barbarously “whipped sound,” and cruelty is undeservedly rewarded. After all, however, what has been done? Three legs are made to do that which was almost too hard a task for four. Then they must be most injuriously strained, and soon worn out, and the general power of the animal must be rapidly exhausted, and, at no great distance of time, exhaustion and death release him from his merciless persecutors.
It is said that between Glasgow and Edinburgh, a carrier in a single horse-cart, weighing about seven hundred weight, will take a load of a ton, and at the rate of twenty-two miles in a day. The Normandy carriers travel with a team of four horses, and from fourteen to twenty-two miles in a day, with a load of ninety hundred weight.
An unparalleled instance of the power of a horse when assisted by art, was shown near Croydon. The Surrey iron rail-way being completed, a wager was laid by two gentlemen, that a common horse could draw thirty-six tons for six miles along the road, and that he should draw his weight from a dead pull, as well as turn it round the occasional windings of the road. A numerous party of gentlemen assembled near Merstham to see this extraordinary triumph of art. Twelve wagons loaded with stones, each wagon weighing above three tons, were chained together, and a horse, taken promiscuously from the timber cart of Mr. Harwood, was yoked to the train. He started from the Fox public-house, near Merstham, and drew the immense chain of wagons, with apparent ease, almost to the turnpike at Croydon, a distance of six miles, in one hour and forty-one minutes, which is nearly at the rate of four miles an hour. In the course of the journey he stopped four times, to show that it was not by any advantage of descent that this power was acquired; and after each stoppage he again drew off the chain of wagons with great ease. Mr. Banks, who had wagered on the power of the horse, then desired that four more loaded wagons should be added to the cavalcade, with which the same horse set off again with undiminished pace. Still further to show the effect of the rail-way in facilitating motion, he directed the attending workmen, to the number of fifty, to mount on the wagons, and the horse proceeded without the least distress; and, in truth, there appeared to be scarcely any limitation to the power of his draught. After this trial the wagons were taken to the weighing-machine, and it appeared that the whole weight was as follows:—
Ferret,s.A small animal of prey.
The ferret has a longer and thinner body, a narrower head, and a sharper snout than the polecat. It has not the same sagacity in providing its subsistence, and unless taken care of and nourished in the house, it cannot even exist, at least in our climates, for those which have been lost in the burrows of rabbits have never multiplied, but most probably perished by the severity of the winter. The ferret also, like other domesticated animals, varies in colour, and is as common in hot countries as the polecat is scarce. The female is conspicuously smaller than the male; and when in season, Gesner says, she has even been known to die if her desires were not gratified. They are reared in casks or chests, where it is usual to furnish them with beds of flax. They sleep most perpetually, but no sooner are they awake than they eagerly seek for food, which consists of bran, bread, milk, &c. The females bring forth twice a year, and go six weeks with their young. Some of them eat their young almost as soon as they are brought forth, are immediately in season again, and then have three litters in the year, each of which consists of from five to nine.
This animal is by nature a mortal enemy to the rabbit. If even a dead one is presented to a young ferret, although he have never seen a rabbit before, he flies at and tears it with fury: but if it be alive, he seizes it by the nose or throat, and sucks its blood. When let into the burrows of rabbits, it is necessary to muzzle him, that he may not kill them in their holes, but only oblige them to run out, that they may be entrapped in the nets; besides, if he is suffered to go in unmuzzled, there is great danger of his being lost; for having sucked the blood of the rabbit, he will fall asleep; and smoking the hole is not always a successful expedient to bring him back, because as the burrows frequently communicate with each other, he is apt to be the more bewildered the more he is surrounded with smoke. The ferret is also made use of by boys, in searching for birds’ nests in the holes of walls or trees.
Strabo says, the ferret was brought from Africa into Spain; which does not appear void of foundation, as Spain is the native climate of rabbits, and the country where formerly these animals most abounded. It is probable, therefore, that the rabbits having increased so much as to become incommodious, the ferret was introduced to diminish them, instead of encouraging the race of polecats, from which no advantage could have accrued but the death of the rabbit, whereas by the ferret some benefit is obtained by the hunter. The ferret, though easily tamed and rendered docile, is exceedingly irascible; he has always an ill smell, but more so when heated or irritated. He has lively but inflamed eyes; all his movements are quick, and is besides so strong, that he will easily master a rabbit three or four times as big as himself.—Buffon.
Fish, Gold and Silver,s.
When I happen to visit a family where gold and silver fishes are kept in a glass bowl, I am always pleased with the occurrence, because it offers me an opportunity of observing the actions and propensities of those beings with whom we can be little acquainted in their natural state. Not long since I spent a fortnight at the house of a friend where there was such a vivary, to which I paid no small attention, taking every occasion to remark what passed within its narrow limits. It was here that I first observed the manner in which fishes die. As soon as the creature sickens, the head sinks lower and lower, and it stands as it were on its head; till, getting weaker, and losing all poise, the tail turns over, and at last it floats on the surface of the water with its belly uppermost. The reason why fishes, when dead, swim in that manner is very obvious; because, when the body is no longer balanced by the fins of the belly, the broad muscular back preponderates by its own gravity, and turns the belly uppermost, as lighter from its being a cavity, and because it contains the swimming-bladders, which contribute to render it buoyant. Some that delight in gold and silver fishes have adopted a notion that they need no aliment. True it is that they will subsist for a long time without any apparent food but what they can collect from pure water frequently changed; yet they must draw some support from animalcula, and other nourishment supplied by the water; because, though they seem to eat nothing, yet the consequences of eating often drop from them. That they are best pleased with such jejune diet may easily be confuted, since if you toss them crumbs, they will seize them with great readiness, not to say greediness: however, bread should be given sparingly, lest, turning sour, it corrupt the water. They will also feed on the water-plant called duck’s meat (Lemna), and also on small fry.
When they want to move a little they gently protrude themselves with theirpinnæ pectorales; but it is with their strong muscular tails only that they and all fishes shoot along with such inconceivable rapidity. It has been said that the eyes of fishes are immoveable: but these apparently turn them forward or backward in their sockets as their occasions require. They take little notice of a lighted candle, though applied close to their heads, but flounce and seem much frightened by a sudden stroke of the hand against the support whereon the bowl is hung; especially when they have been motionless, and are perhaps asleep. As fishes have no eyelids, it is not easy to discern when they are sleeping or not, because their eyes are always open.
Nothing can be more amusing than a glass bowl containing such fishes: the double refractions of the glass and water represent them, when moving, in a shifting and changeable variety of dimensions, shades, and colours, while the two mediums, assisted by the concavo-convex shape of the vessel, magnify and distort them vastly; not to mention that the introduction of another element and its inhabitants into our parlours engages the fancy in a very agreeable manner.
Gold and silver fishes, though originally natives of China and Japan, yet are become so well reconciled to our climate as to thrive and multiply very fast in our ponds and stews. Linnæus ranks this species of fish under the genus ofCyprinus, or carp, and calls itCyprinus auratus.—White’s Selborne.
Quitter,s.A disease in horses.
This is a disease of the foot, originating in a bruise or tread upon the coronet, or thin parts of the hoof. Superficial injuries on the coronet are often inflicted by the horse scratching himself with the opposite heel. But the bruise which causes quitter is of a more serious nature, and is inflicted by the horse stepping with great force upon the higher part of the inside of the foot, in endeavouring to save himself from slipping; and from this it is that the disorder generally or almost always takes place in winter, when the roads are slippery. It is well known that smiths, and the most ignorant of farriers, often succeed in their treatment of this disorder, and that veterinary surgeons often fail. The cause is, that they are not sufficiently attentive to such cases, and do not follow up the dressing as it is necessary to do, in order to get at the bottom of the injury. In order to cure a quitter effectually, let the following directions be carefully attended to.
Ascertain carefully, by means of a probe, the direction and extent of the sinuses, or pipes, as they are termed, then let them be completely filled with sublimate.
To do this effectually, the sublimate must be wrapped up in small pieces of whitey-brown paper, and introduced by very small portions at a time, so that they may be forced, as near as possible, to the bottom of the sinus. But however carefully this may be done, the sinuses are always so crooked or winding, that the first dressing can seldom be got to the bottom of them. In six or seven days a large slough or core will come out, when the dressing has been properly applied; and as soon as this has taken place, it may be necessary to dress in the same manner as at first; and even this must be repeated if the bottom of the disease is not found, and that generally is the lateral cartilage. Nothing more is necessary after this than to keep the sinus filled with lint, dipped in friar’s balsam, taking care to introduce it quite to the bottom every time of dressing. The sinus will thus be gradually filled up and healed. Quitters are sometimes cured by syringing the part, after it has been cored out, with sublimate. For this purpose a tube is forced into the wound, so as to reach the bottom, and through it a strong solution of blue vitriol, or tincture of myrrh, is injected. When these means fail, the foul cartilage, or bone, may be scraped by a very small chisel or gouge, or other more convenient instrument. I have seen quitters cured, or rather dried up, merely by dressing with tincture of myrrh, after coring it out with sublimate. The opening has often remained, and appeared to have become horny within, so that no inconvenience was felt from it. Another method of curing quitter is one commonly practised by farriers or shoeing smiths, and is called boring. This is done by pasting a red-hot iron, of a suitable size and form, to the bottom of the sinus, and then filling it with sublimate, or strong sublimate ointment. Sometimes another opening is made through the sound parts, at a little distance from the quitter, but in a slanting direction, so as to communicate with the quitter: this also is filled with sublimate ointment.
When much pain and swelling take place after the operation, the foot may be wrapped in a large poultice. After the cure of a bad quitter there is often a permanent defect on that side of the hoof, which is named a false quarter; that is, the new shoot of horn that grows down is imperfect, depressed, of a light colour, and is apt to split, and become a sand crack. When a horse receives a wound or bruise on the foot or coronet, by treading upon it, or by other means, the most likely method of preventing a quitter is to bathe the wound or bruise with a strong stimulant, such as tincture of myrrh, friar’s balsam, spirit of turpentine, or camphorated spirit. This seems to deaden the sensibility of the bruised or wounded nerves, and thereby prevent inflammation more effectually than a poultice. Should inflammation take place, however, afterwards, a poultice should be applied.—White.
Race, Doncaster, for the Great St. Leger Stakes, 1832, of which our Frontispiece, drawn byPollard, expressly for this work, is a correct representation.
The following is the account given in the Sporting Magazine for that year:—
And now the hour arrived to set all fancies and opinions at nought, and disclose what so many had so long and anxiously looked forward to ascertain. On clearing the ground, the following seventeen showed themselves, parading before the stand, to exhibit their varied beauties and accomplishments before the bouquet of female elegance and beauty which shone studded in brilliancy amidst an animated multitude:—
After the usual parading, the whole drew up together, and made a false start—Ludlow, Physician, and Carlton staying behind, and all the others going some distance before they could be pulled up. On re-assembling, a most excellent and beautiful start was effected, the lot going away in a cluster, with Mr. Powlett’s filly leading for about two hundred yards, when Roué took it from her—Carlton, the filly, Physician, Nitocris, Birdcatcher, Richmond, Trustee, Maria, Retainer, Julius, and Fang following alongside in front, and the others well up, at one of the worst Leger paces ever witnessed, and all keeping their ground over the hill to the T. Y. C. post, when Mr. Pavis began to handle the whipcord to Daxon, who was the first that exhibited defeat. The example, however, was soon found to have plenty of imitators; for, before reaching the Red House, Fang, Nitocris, Trustee, Carlton, Roué, and Brother to Maria, fell away from the contest—Mr. Powlett’s mare coming round the corner down to the rails with a very promising and flattering appearance, followed closely by Birdcatcher, Physician, Retainer, and Richmond; Margrave lying two or three lengths in the rear. On reaching the rails Calloway came out with Birdcatcher, went up to the Figaro filly, at the distance defeated her, and looked very much like a winner; but Robinson, who had patiently waited, now crept up on the outside, making his ground by a gradual steady advance. At the stand he caught the Birdcatcher, and left him at the post in the rear by three-quarters of a length, amid the deafening shouts of the lads “wot had put the siller on the back of Muley’s son.” The Figaro filly ran in third, Physician (only beat by the filly a head) fourth, Richmond fifth, Retainer sixth, and David seventh—Ludlow, Fang, Byzantium, and Carlton landing the fourlasthorses of the race.
Safety Trigger,s.
Safety-triggers have been introduced to obviate, if possible, the fatal accidents which have arisen from accidental discharges. Many plans have been devised to effect this most desirable object. Among the most ingenious, one by Goulding, and another by Moore, are among the most novel, and probably the most effective. People must, however, be miserably nervous, to render safety-triggers necessary.
Stable,s.A place for horses.
Loftiness is very desirable in a stable. It should never be less than twelve feet high, and the best method of ventilation is by means of a chimney or square opening in the ceiling, communicating with the open air, or it may be made in the form of a dome or cupola, which would be more ornamental. The chimney need not be opened at the top so as to admit the rain, but should be roofed, and have lateral openings by means of weather-boards, as they are termed. As to the admission of air into the stable, the usual means provided for that purpose are quite sufficient; that is, by windows. The method adopted in barrack stables, of making an opening in the wall, near the ground at the end of the stable, is useless, to say the best of it. A stable, when properly paved, and kept moderately clean, requires only a shallow, wide gutter, twelve inches wide, and one inch deep. This, with a pail or two of water thrown upon the floor, and swept off while the horse is at exercise, will keep the stable perfectly clean and free from offensive smells. The depth of a stable should not be less than eighteen feet, nor the height, as I observed before, less than twelve. The width of a stall should not be less than six feet clear. But, when there is sufficient room, it is a much better plan to allow each horse a space of ten or twelve feet, where he may be loose and exercise himself a little. This will be an effectual means of avoiding swollen heels, and a great relief to horses that are worked hard. With respect to the rack and manger, I shall describe one which I have seen employed in a wagon-stable with the best effect. It is intended for two horses; for horses, when a little accustomed to each other, and working together, will always agree well when kept in the same stall, especially when they have, as is the case here, separate mangers, and are prevented by their halters from interfering with each other’s corn. The space for two horses is twelve feet. The mangers and rack are all on a level, and about three feet from the ground. The manger should never be less than eighteen inches deep, eighteen inches from the front to the back part, and two feet in length. The rack should be four feet for one horse. The rack may be made with staves in the front, like a common rack, but this is not necessary; indeed, it is better to have it closed in front. The back part of the rack should be an inclined plane made of wood; should be gradually sloped towards the front; and should terminate about two feet down. Such a rack will hold more hay than ever ought to be put before one horse. The advantages of this rack are numerous. In the first place the hay is easily put into it, and renders a hayloft over the stable unnecessary; and this may be an inducement to the builder to make the stable as lofty as it ought to be, and render other ventilation unnecessary. All the hay that is put into this manger will be eaten; but in the common rack it is well known that a large portion of the hay is often pulled down upon the litter and trodden upon, whereby a considerable quantity is often wasted. It prevents the hayseeds or dust from falling upon the horse, or into his eyes; and, what is of considerable importance, though seldom attended to, there will be an inducement to the groom to give the horse hay in small quantities at a time, and frequently, from the little trouble which attends putting it into the rack. The saving in hay that may be effected by the use of this rack is so apparent that it need not be dwelt upon. Some mischievous horses will throw out the hay with their noses: but this may be effectually prevented by one or two cross bars—that is, crossing the upper part of the crib from the back to the front. This kind of rack and manger, from being boarded up in front, will effectually prevent the litter from being kept constantly under the horse’s head and eyes, by which he is compelled to breathe the vapours which arise from it. The length of the halter should be only four feet from the headstall to the ring through which it passes: this will admit of his lying down with ease, and that is all which is required. The ring should be placed close to that side where the manger is, and not in the centre of the stall. The sides of the stall should be sufficiently high and deep, to prevent horses from biting and kicking each other. In post and wagon stables, where the stall is made for a pair of horses, the manger will be placed at each end, and the hay-crib in the centre. The window of the stable should be at the south-east end, and the door at the opposite end. The window should be as high as the ceiling will admit of, and in size proportioned to that of the stable. In one of twelve feet high, it need not come down more than five feet, and will then be seven feet from the ground, and out of the way of being broken. The frame of the window should be moveable upon a pivot in the centre, and opened by means of a cord running over a pulley in the ceiling, and fastened by means of another cord. With a window of this kind, in a stable of three or four horses, no other ventilation will be required: a person never need be solicitous about finding openings for the air to enter when there is sufficient room above, and means for it to escape. It is a good plan to have two doors, or to have the common door divided transversely, about four or five feet from the ground; the upper part may then be occasionally left open. Where much light is admitted, the walls of the stable should not be white, but of a stucco or lead colour, and better if painted; for then they may always be washed clean with soap and water, as well as the stalls, rack, and manger; and this should be done once in two or three weeks, or a month at furthest. If the walls are boarded up to the height of about five feet, and this, as well as the stalls, painted of a light wainscot colour, it will look extremely neat, and the under part of the wall will be kept drier, and look more comfortable. A stable should be lighted by means of an argand lamp suspended from the ceiling, and moveable. This will give a far better light, is cheaper, and more secure than any other contrivance whatever, except gas-light, and, if properly trimmed, will burn without a particle of smoke. Instead of having a large corn chest in the stable, a handsome seat may be made at the back of the stable extending as far as may be necessary: in this there may be partitions to separate the beans, or the bran, and places may be made to rest the arms upon, so that a gentleman may sit down comfortably in his stable and see his horses taken care of. A stable thus constructed will be found conducive to the health and the comfort of horses, and will afford an inducement to the groom to attend to every little circumstance which may contribute to cleanliness. He will not allow the smallest bit of dung to remain swept up at one end of the stable, as it commonly is. The pails should be kept outside, and not standing about the stable, as they commonly are. If it is necessary to take off the chill from water, it is much better and more easily done, by the addition of a little hot water, than by suffering it to stand in the stable; and while the horses are at exercise, the litter should be all turned out to dry, and the floor well washed or swept out. A little fresh straw may then be placed for the horses to stale upon. Litter thus dried during the day will serve again as well as fresh straw for the bottom of the bed, and be free from smell. A saving may be made in litter by turning it out, and drying it as I have described; and if a shed were built adjoining a stable, it may be done at all times, and may serve also to exercise and clean a horse in wet weather.
Neither dogs, fowls, nor goats, should ever be permitted to enter a stable; and dung should be kept at a distance from it. In speaking of the arrangements of the stable, it may not be amiss to notice what I consider a good contrivance in cleaning horses, that is, to have two straps, one on each side the stall, about one yard from the head of it. By these the horse may be fastened during the time he is cleaned, by which means he will be effectually prevented from biting the manger or the groom; and being kept back in the stall, the groom will be better able to clean the front of his fore legs, chest, and neck, and be able to move round him: this is better than strapping him to the rack. When the common rack and manger are preferred, the rack staves should be straight, and brought nearly down to the manger, and this may easily be done without the necessity of a hay loft, and the manger may be made deep and wide as I have described it.
The heat of a stable should be graduated by a thermometer, always kept there for the purpose. Our feelings are but a feeble guide to our judgment in measuring temperature. It would be well that the stable heat should seldom reach, but never exceed, 50 degrees of Fahrenheit in winter, or 65 in summer. To renew the air, the stable should be well ventilated; and such ventilation should be as near the ceiling or top of the stable as possible, as the impure air ascends. The ventilators, sometimes seen, which revolve quickly on their own centres, are not, I think, good, because they occasion a draught of air; for which reason likewise windows should be so constructed as not to open directly on either the front or the rear of the horse. One of the best methods of ventilation is by means of one or more tubes or funnels, according to the size of the stable, which should be let into the ceiling, presenting below a larger end of twelve or eighteen inches square, which, as it ascends, should narrow at its summit to about four or five inches; and this should pass out at the roof of the building, having a raised cup over its top to prevent the wet from descending. Light appears essentially necessary to a stable; the exit from a dark one must be a painful stimulus to the eyes of the horse, and his imperfect vision makes him startlish and irritable. Dark stables are supposed to encourage feeding; and it is not impossible but the horses of eastern countries eat most during the night. It also, it is thought, induces them to lie down more. The greatest encouragement to the latter is a loose box, and to the former air, exercise, and soft water. Stables should be well ceiled, and that very closely: when this is not the case, not only does the dust from the hayloft fall on the horse, but it frequently enters his eyes; and the impure air, composed of nitrogen and ammoniacal gas, which always ascends, lodges in the hay above. In fact, it would be better that both the hay and corn should be altogether removed from the sphere of action of the ammoniacal effluvia of the stable, and only brought to the animals as they are wanted. Partial draughts of air in a stable should be carefully avoided, as extremely injurious to horses: a very lofty ceiling without an upper story, is the best preventive to this. Narrow stalls are very prejudicial to horses; strains in the back are often occasioned by them; and whenever a stall is less than six feet wide, the groom should have peremptory orders never to turn the horse out of it, but always to back. Bars or bails are also objectionable, from the ease with which horses may play with and kick each other over them, and likewise because it is seldom that horses eat alike in point of quickness; and thus, when they are separated by bars only, the slowest eater gets robbed of his food.
The acclivity of the generality of stalls is also a very serious objection to them, for they occasion a horse to stand unequally, and an undue proportion of weight is thrown on the hinder extremities: the declivity also puts the flexor tendons of both the hind and fore legs on a continual stretch, and by it probably many horses are injured. The smallest possible slope only should be allowed: neither is the central grating a remedy for this inconvenience; for it not only is useless as regards mares, but it is rather injurious, because it retains the urine, which thus continues to diffuse at every moment the effluvia it should be so much our study to avoid. It is much better that each stall should be furnished with a grating placed over a small drain at the foot of the stall, which should be so constructed, as to carry off the urine or washings from each horse into one common out-door cesspool perfectly secured against the access of the external air, that an injurious effluvia may not pass up through the gratings. Professor Peal, in his excellentObservations, has entered largely into the injurious effects of the ammoniacal exhalations arising from the urine: to these he attributes, in a great measure, the ophthalmia by which so many valuable horses are ruined. This separation of volatile alkali is not confined to the urinary secretion alone—it extends to the fæces also, and to both the sensible, and to the insensible perspiration. The urine, from the experiments of that able chemist, Dr. Egan, begins to separate ammonia in a few hours after its evacuation from the body, and there is reason to suppose that the fæces as readily fall into this early decomposition; therefore a necessity exists for their speedy removal also.
There is much contrariety of opinion relative to the propriety of permitting horses to stand during the day on litter; and there are cogent arguments for and against it. Litter entices horses to lie down during the day, which relieves fatigue, and is favourable to the recovery of over-strained limbs: it also prevents an uneven or hurtful pressure on the feet when it is cobble-paved. On the other hand, gross feeding horses are apt to eat their litter, which is not desirable. It is, likewise, too apt to retain the urine, and thereby to generate the acrid salts we have described. Constantly standing on straw makes many horses’ legs swell, which is proved by removing it, when such legs immediately return to their proper size: the warmth and moisture retained in it, likewise, are very apt to occasion cracks and swelled legs. Litter retained is probably injurious to the feet also; for if horn has a tendency to contract by the application of heat, the horn of the feet being placed so many hours within it, must be subjected to this additional stimulus to contraction. In my own stables no litter is ever suffered to remain under the fore feet during the day: on the contrary, the horses stand on the bare bricks, which in summer are watered to make them more cool. Behind, a little straw is strewed, because horses are apt to kick and break the bricks with their hinder feet, and because, when no gratings exist, or no slope is present, the litter thus placed sucks up the moisture of the urine, which would be detrimental to the hinder feet, which are more liable to thrushes than contraction.
The box is a necessary appendage to every good stable; indeed, it may, with great propriety, form a part of the stable: and I would advise that, whenever a new one be erected, so to frame it, that every standing may, by a moveable partition, be readily made into a distinct and separate box. It would be well, were in-door horses more generally accustomed to spend their leisure time in boxes than stalls: boxes are advantageous to the jaded horse, by encouraging him to lie down during the day; they are advantageous to the idle horse, by encouraging him to exercise himself. By means of boxes, the evils of long frosts to the hunter are avoided; and the unrestrained enjoyment of freedom is relished by all. A loose box wholly unconnected with the stable is also a valuable appendage to a gentleman’s establishment: it may thus with impunity be the receptacle of a contagious case. The detached box should be so constructed as to be capable of being cooled to nearly the temperature of the external air, or, when necessary, to be made as warm as requisite for some cases of sickness. No projections should be allowed in its walls to hurt the hips, in cases of falling from weakness, staggers, &c. It should, also, have a grate in the centre communicating with an outer cesspool, with a general slight bearing of the flooring to the grating: into a large box of this description, every horse taken up from grass should be first put, to prevent the access of the worst colds to which horses are liable, which are those caught on the sudden remove from a cool into a heated temperature.—White—Blaine’s Outlines of the Veterinary Art.
LONDON:PRINTED BY BRADBURY AND EVANS, WHITEFRIARS.
LONDON:PRINTED BY BRADBURY AND EVANS, WHITEFRIARS.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY BRADBURY AND EVANS, WHITEFRIARS.
Transcriber’s note:
Transcriber’s note:
Transcriber’s note:
Variations in hyphenation and spelling, excepting clear outliers, have been retained.
Out of place entries have been moved into alphabetical order, respecting the original's combined sorting of i/j and u/v.
Receipt formatting has been regularized.
All instances of ‘N. B.’ have been regularized to ‘N.B.’
Age of a Horse, ‘maxiliary’ changed to ‘maxillary,’ “the sub-maxillary space is”
Age of a Horse, comma struck after ‘back,’ “the back sinks”
Alum, ‘diabates’ changed to ‘diabetes,’ “diarrhœa, diabetes, &c.”
Angling, quotes regularized.
Arm, ‘arm’ changed to ‘hand,’ “the hand to the shoulder”
Babillard, ‘Vide’ italicized, “the white-throat. (VideMontagu”
Bacon, ‘of’ inserted after ‘flesh,’ “The flesh of a hog”
Balling-Iron, comma changed to full stop after ‘horses,’ “balls to horses. It is”
Balsam, full stop inserted after ‘Peru,’ “Balsam of Peru.”
Barrel, double quote inserted before ‘I,’ ““I saw the process of”
Bearward, ‘Bearward’ changed to small caps, “Bearward, s. A keeper of”
Belly-bound, ‘Belly-bound’ changed to small caps, “Belly-bound, a. Costive.”
Billiards, full stop changed to comma after ‘same,’ “behind the same, and the”
Bird, s., double quote inserted after ‘days,’ “Africa, in a few days.””
Birdlime, ‘mistleto’ changed to ‘misletoe,’ “The misletoe affords a”
Birds, Method of Preserving, double quote inserted after ‘solution,’ “the sublimate solution.””
Bitch, full stop changed to comma after ‘cunning,’ “very cunning, and often”
Blackbird, double quote inserted after ‘snares,’ “and all sorts of snares.””
Cartouch, ‘it’ changed to ‘is,’ “It is fired out of”
Castrate, ‘D’Arboval’ changed to ‘d’Arboval,’ “and as Hurtrel d’Arboval”
Certificate for killing Game, full stop changed to comma after ‘6d.,’ “3l. 13s. 6d., and one”
The Charmer, comma changed to full stop after ‘required,’ “was required. In his”
Cinnamon, comma changed to full stop after ‘colour,’ “should hurt your colour.”
Clipping, double quote inserted after ‘lungs,’ “ramifications of the lungs.””
Clipping, ‘god’ changed to ‘got,’ “got rid of the latter”
Cob, ‘difficulty’ changed to ‘difficult,’ “more difficult than if”
Cob, ‘disheatening’ changed to ‘disheartening,’ “be almost disheartening”
Cock, s., ‘1664’ changed to ‘1654,’ “Cromwell, March 31, 1654.”
The Cocker, full stop changed to comma after ‘extrarius,’ “Canis extrarius, Var. B.”
Colic, ‘Tinture’ changed to ‘Tincture,’ “Tincture of opium”
Condition, ‘heath’ changed to ‘health,’ “respect out of health”
Coot, full stop inserted after ‘Linn,’ “Fulica aterrima, Linn.”
Cormorant, ‘dispsition’ changed to ‘disposition,’ “their disposition, it seems”
Cough, v., ‘pereverance’ changed to ‘perseverance,’ “require a steady perseverance”
Coulterneb, double quote inserted before ‘the,’ ““the raven makes bold”
Crack, ‘plainful’ changed to ‘painful,’ “are very painful, often”
Cram, ‘sheeps’’ changed to ‘sheep’s,’ “and suet, sheep’s plucks”
Cricket, ‘D’Urfey’ changed to ‘d’Urfey,’ “songs published by d’Urfey”
Cricket, ‘bails’ changed to ‘bales,’ “and the bales must be”
Cricket, ‘middle wicket’ changed to ‘middle-wicket,’ “between the middle-wicket and”
Decoy, v., ‘skreens’ changed to ‘screens,’ “sides, screens formed of”
Detonating Powder, comma changed to full stop after ‘potash,’ “of oxymuriate of potash.”
Distemper, quotes surrounding passage from Darwin regularized.
Dog, comma changed to full stop after ‘Foxhound’ in synopsis, “Foxhound.”
Dotterel, ‘Dottrel’ changed to ‘Dotterel,’ “Dotterel, (Charadrius morinellus”
Dotterel, ‘a’ changed to ‘à,’ “Le Petit Pluvier à collier”
Duck, full stop inserted after ‘shell-fish,’ “chiefly upon shell-fish.”
Duck, ‘Golden Eye’ changed to ‘Golden-Eye,’ “Vide Golden-Eye”
Eagle, second ‘his’ struck, “next to his throat”
Ecarté, ‘9’ changed to ‘8,’ “8. When the pack”
Enter, full stop inserted after ‘hounds,’ “To enter hounds.”
Feet, double quote inserted after ‘branch,’ “adhere to the branch.””
Feet, ‘swim,ming’ changed to ‘swimming,’ “the action of swimming”
Feet, ‘pressnre’ changed to ‘pressure,’ “bear much pressure; and”
Feet, ‘regidity’ changed to ‘rigidity,’ “So severe a rigidity”
Fish, v., double quote inserted after ‘ratio,’ “in an equal ratio.””
Fish, v., quotes surrounding maxims regularized.
Fit, comma changed to full stop after ‘hunting,’ “has fits when hunting.”
Fly, s., comma changed to full stop after ‘of,’ “disapprove of. Without”
Fly, s., full stop changed to semi-colon after ‘summer,’ “the summer; light rail”
Fox, ‘sportman’ changed to ‘sportsman,’ “the sportsman in question”
Foxhound, full stop changed to comma after ‘said,’ “distich it is said,”
Gallinaceous Birds, double quote inserted after ‘favourite,’ “the cock’s greatest favourite.””
Gannet, ‘&c’ changed to ‘&c.,’ “his pole-hook, &c.; and”
Garganey, second ‘and’ struck, “most agreeable and sprightly”
Garganey, ‘marked’ changed to ‘mark,’ “obscure white mark over”
Godwit, ‘distaace’ changed to ‘distance,’ “at a great distance”
Goose, ‘nevers’ changed to ‘never,’ “and never fires till”
Gravitating Stops, substantive type ‘s.’ added, “Gravitating Stops, s.”
Greyhound, double quote inserted after ‘white,’ “black and white.””
Grouse, ‘not’ struck after ‘is,’ “it is to be met”
Guaiacum, ‘Guiacum’ changed to ‘Guaiacum,’ “called Guaiacum officinale”
Guernsey Partridge, ‘linular’ changed to ‘linear,’ “linear streaks of black”
Gun, full stop struck after ‘Hawker,’ “Daniel—Hawker—Wild Sports.”
Hammer, ‘extinquished’ changed to ‘extinguished,’ “they are extinguished”
Haul, s., full stop inserted after ‘s,’ “Haul, s. Pull, violence”
Hazard, s., ‘3’ inserted before ‘2,’ “7 [to] 5 [is] 3 [to] 2”
Hazard, s., ‘4’ inserted before ‘3,’ “9 [to] 4 [is] 4 [to] 3”
Heron, ‘he’ changed to ‘the,’ “is on the ground”
Horse, s., ‘tendo’ changed to ‘tendon,’ “the tendon Achillis prominent”
Hunt, double quote inserted after ‘more,’ “sunk to rise no more.””
Hunter, ‘sime’ changed to ‘time,’ “previously to that time”
Hunter, ‘mangement’ changed to ‘management,’ “and good stable management”
Hydrophobia, ‘Darw’ changed to ‘Darwin,’ “Gilman—Darwin—Marochetti”
Iron, s., ‘drams’ changed to ‘drachms,’ “No. 6, 2 drachms to 4. No. 7, 2 drachms to 4”
Jackdaw, comma changed to apostrophe after ‘partridges,’ “fond of partridges’ eggs”
Kennel, s., ‘knowlenge’ changed to ‘knowledge,’ “of his practical knowledge”
Kilderkin, comma changed to apostrophe after ‘gallons,’ “eighteen gallons’ capacity”
Kingfisher, ‘enable’ changed to ‘enabled,’ “eye is enabled to follow”
Landrail, ‘maks’ changed to ‘makes,’ “It makes its appearance”
Linnet, double quote inserted before ‘I,’ ““I have even,””
Lock, ‘turn-screw’ changed to ‘turnscrew,’ “the turnscrew should on no”
Lock, ‘pntting’ changed to ‘putting,’ “and putting on the feather”
Lure, full stop changed to comma after ‘it,’ “flying towards it, but so”
Mange, ‘Oxmuriate’ changed to ‘Oxymuriate,’ “No. 8. Oxymuriate of quicksilver”
Mange, parenthesis inserted after ‘sulphur,’ “potash (liver of sulphur)”
Mastication, second ‘of’ struck, “outside of the higher grinders”
Mastiff, ‘iuvariable’ changed to ‘invariable,’ “whose invariable practice”
Minnow, ‘appers’ changed to ‘appears,’ “The minnow appears first”
Minnow, ‘so’ changed to ‘to,’ “so essential to be seen”
Muscovy, comma inserted after ‘Buff.,’ “Le Canard Musque, Buff.), s.”
Orbits, substantive type ‘s.’ added after ‘Linn.,’ “Linn.) s. In ornithology”
Owl, full stop inserted after ‘Linn,’ “Strix Bubo, Linn.”
Perch, second ‘be’ struck, “hook may be varied”
Pigeons, ‘monoganous’ changed to ‘monogamous,’ “The pigeon is monogamous”
Pike, ‘a-year’ changed to ‘a year,’ “four pounds a year”
Plover, ‘Oetober’ changed to ‘October,’ “in the marshes in October”
Plumage, ‘’ changed to ‘,’ “weather stops its progress”
Poison, ‘immediatel yat’ changed to ‘immediately at,’ “are not immediately at”
Pond, ‘Flat fish’ and ‘flounders’ italicized, “Flat fishorflounders”
Pond, comma changed to full stop after ‘years,’ “fifty-eight years. Carp and”
Pug Dog, ‘bebecoming’ changed to ‘becoming,’ “now becoming very scarce”
Punt, ‘alloted’ changed to ‘allotted,’ “period allotted for it”
Redwing, full stop inserted after ‘Linn,’ “Turdus Iliacus, Linn.”
Rifle, ‘ther’ struck after ‘whether,’ “that whether one or two”
Rifle, ‘follow’ changed to ‘follows,’ “shots were as follows”
Rifle, ‘manufactury’ changed to ‘manufactory,’ “to the manufactory, did”
Ringdove, ‘semcircular’ changed to ‘semicircular,’ “a semicircular line of white”
Roach, second ‘to’ struck, “a May or ant-fly is to be sunk”
Roaring, ‘cirstances’ changed to ‘circumstances,’ “be regulated by circumstances”
Rod, parenthesis inserted before ‘some,’ “for use; (some, however”
Ruff, ‘whisp’ changed to ‘wisp,’ “with a wisp of straw”
Salmon, full stop inserted after ‘fishing,’ “Salmon fishing.”
Sandpiper, ‘tbe’ changed to ‘the,’ “black; the belly white”
Sandpiper, comma changed to full stop after ‘breadth,’ “nineteen in breadth. The”
Sculk, ‘hidingplaces’ changed to ‘hiding-places,’ “To lurk in hiding-places”
Sea-fishing, ‘phosporic’ changed to ‘phosphoric,’ “bait of phosphoric brilliancy”
Shoeing, comma changed to full stop after ‘diligent,’ “and diligent. He should likewise”
Shoeing, ‘difficulty’ changed to ‘difficult,’ “exceedingly difficult to introduce”
Sleep, ‘day light’ changed to ‘day-light,’ “even in broad day-light”
Sling, v., ‘to’ inserted after ‘not,’ “is not to be had”
Song, hyphen changed to space after ‘billed,’ “the hard-billed species”
Staghound, ‘snccession’ changed to ‘succession,’ “the keepers in succession”
Stern, s., first entry, full stop inserted after ‘s,’ “Stern, s. The hinder”
Surfeit, s., ‘ever’ changed to ‘over,’ “universally over the body”
Surfeit, s., full stop inserted after ‘Blaine,’ “the same.—The Horse—Blaine.”
Swallow, s., second entry, semi-colon changed to comma after ‘wings,’ “forked; wings, legs short”
Teal, ‘tranverse’ changed to ‘transverse,’ “white transverse waved lines”
Tench, comma changed to full stop after ‘Shoemaker,’ “the Shoemaker. They take”
Tench, second ‘or’ struck, “and No. 9 or 10 hook; fish”
Tennis, ‘chance’ changed to ‘chace,’ “case it is a chace at 1, 2, &c.”
Terrier, comma struck after ‘variety,’ “Canis terrarius, variety α.”
Throughbred changed to Thoroughbred, entry re-located.
Tooth, full stop changed to comma after ‘tendency,’ “its septic tendency, and”
Training, ‘gradudually’ changed to ‘gradually,’ “his weight was gradually reduced”
Trespasser, full stop changed to comma after ‘Trespasser,’ “Trespasser, s. An offender”
Vingt-un, ‘twenty one’ changed to ‘twenty-one,’ “number less than twenty-one”
Water Dog, second ‘to’ struck, “much attached to his master”
Water Ousel, comma changed to full stop after ‘Linn,’ “Sturnus Cinclus, Linn.”
Whimbrel, semi-colon changed to comma after ‘colour,’ “the same colour, but the”
White, ‘albuginous’ changed to ‘albuminous,’ “the albuminous part of eggs”
Wild Dog, ‘chace’ changed to ‘chase,’ “During the chase, which occupied”
Wing, s., comma inserted after ‘primores,’ “primary quills, (primores, Linn.)”
Worm, full stop inserted after ‘Linn,’ “Cowhage (dolichos pruriens, Linn.)”
Yacht, ‘Southhampton’ changed to ‘Southampton,’ “to Cowes and to Southampton”
Yacht, ‘for-forfeit’ changed to ‘forfeit,’ “shall forfeit all claim to the prize”
Yacht, ‘regrad’ changed to ‘regard,’ “with regard to the sailing”
Yarwhip, ‘twelves’ changed to ‘twelve,’ “weight about twelve ounces”
Zoology, double quote inserted after ‘body,’ “and move the body.””