Eastern times., 1855-09-27
Defects in Stables.

Defects in Stables.
Knowing that horses often suffer in ways
that their masters do not often suspect, and
that there must be many both in city and in
country, among the readers of such a paper
| as this, who would at once take measures TO
prevent their horses from suffering, if only
the sources or causes of that suffering were
brought under their notice, we commenced in
former paper brief series of articles intend
ed TO point out to naerafu men few of the
more prominent of The sources of suffering and
or pains taking might readily abate or remove
entirely.
In continuation of the subject of defects in
stables, we wish, at this time, TO direct atten-
tion to one of very common occurrence, and of
very injurious consequences-ihe want of suf-
fcient ventilation. 1t seems as if the bulk of
those who construct stables, and of those who
have the care of horses, were of the opinion
that good, pure, fresh air,is of no great use to
horse; and that if horses only get plenty to
eat and drink, and have not too much to do,
they must of necessity do very well. They
seem TO be utterly ignorant OF the well estab-
lished fact, that for the maintenance of life
and Of health plentiful supply of fresh air is
absolutely necessary 1t must surely be from
this ignorance, and not from hard hearted in
difference 10 the comfort of their animals, that
SO many shut them up in. close stables, the at
mosphere of which when the door is first
opened in the morning. is exceedingly often
sive to the nose apd of most disagreeable res
piration.
Whenever disagreeable smell meets one
when he throws open stable door, especially
at the first opening of the door in the morning,
that stable is certainly defective in its con-
struction and unhealthy in its influences. A
horse breathing such an atmosphere during
the whole of long night, cannot be as strong,
lively, and vigorous as if his lungs had been
supplied with pure air. The whole of the
blood and humors of his system are more or
less contaminated with poisonous material
a true materies mor6i. Besides the ammonia
cal and other foul gases arising from the drop
pings and urine, there is an effluvium arising
from the insensible perspiration of the skin,
and furthermore quantity of carbonic acid
gas generated by the lungs at each exhalation.
No wonder that after spending the long nights
of whole winter in such an atmosphere, so
many horses, and cattle also, should be found
lanquid, lazy, loggy, and nearly useless in
spring-often at the very time when their ut
most vigor and strength might be very profita-
bly, and acceptably employed.
But some do not escape with merely an i'm
pairment of their usual health and vigor in the
season of spring, but are found to have weak
or infamed eyes, or to be easily attacked by
colds, coughs, influenza and infamations of
the lungs. The breathing Of foul and un-
wholesome air during the long winter nights,
dcbilitates the tone of the lungs and also of
the whole system, and when horses which
have been subjected TO such contaminated at
mosphere are exposed, as they must be, TO the
sudden changes of temperature and electrical
conditions of the air in spring, they readily
take colds and become victims of inflammation of
the lungs.
Horses that are compelled 10 spend half or
more of their time in an atmosphere saturated
with ammoniacal and carbonic acid gases, in
which man could not breathe without pain
full discomfort for one half hour, must ut re-
quires nothing more than common sense to see
that it must be SOY always be in near proximi-
ty to, or on the borders of disease, and on very
small exposures must suffer from some attack
more or less severe. If we reeolect Alright,
DR.. Dodd has somewhere stated in his book,
or in some contribution to the agricultural
journals, that horses have often been found
dead in their stalls from the effects of carbon
lied blood in polluted atmosphere, and that
many more would probably die were they not
permitted to take little of the breath of life
through the day.