Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-09-04
Causes of Disease. Darkness and Dirt.

SOLAR light consists of luminous chem.
ical and caloric rays, and appears TO be
almost as important for the well-being Of
animal rs of vegetable life. With what
unmstakablu satisfaction do all the domes-
ticated animals bask in the sunshine In
It's brightness and warmth all creatures
seem to revel Yet horses In coal.pits and
mines, deprived of its cheering influences,
if otherwise well managed, do not seem
| specially liable to any particular diseases.
Young animals deprived of sunlight prob
ably suffer more notably than adults, are
apt to become puny, listless and liable to
scrofilous disorders. Human beings liv-
ing in dark dwellings, underneath high
walls where sunlight seldom penetrates,
become the parents of an unusually large
proportion Of dumb, blind, and idiotic
children. Amongst pigs and poultry we
have observed the depressing influences of
dark abodcs. In covered yards, shut on
from the direct rays Of the sun, cattle do
not thrive as well as where they bask
themselves in its cheering rays. During
several winters we have had under OBJ
servation, 10 one of the midland counties
of England, two contiguous yards OF
nearly equal size, capable Of holding com
fortably eight or nine two year old Short
horns. The inner is entirely covered with
u lofty glass and slated roof; airy, but not
liable to draughts The outer has a deep,
commodious shed, continuous with the
roof of the covered yard Both yards
are similarly supplied with water. Sue
cessive lots of Shorthorns during seven
consecutive winters have fed exactly
alike in each yard. In both they thrive re-
markably well but the occupants of the
outer yard, albeit they are further from
the baTn.door, invariably come out in
spring with better coats and rather more
condition; and this we can ascribe only to
the fact that they enjoy full share of
sunshine, from which their fellows In the
inner yard are almost entirely shut out.
Light, when too abundant or dazzling,
is trying to the eyes. The bright glare of
the suns rays, when reflected from white
cliffs, sandy flats, snow, or even from white
lime stone roads, irritates the eye, and oc
casionally gives rise to blindness Some
horsemen object TO brightly lighted stables,
on the plea that animals are kept more on
the alert, do not compose themselves, and
cannot rest we'll But in stable or kennel
too much light is preferable to too little.
BY curtains, blinds, or other devices, any
excess can easily be excluded Deficiencies
of light usually prove q cloak To filth. A
dark stable is seldom clean fresh or airy.
Solid or liquid excreta are apt to accumu-
late, contaminating the mir dust and cob
webs escape observation; the atmosphere,
II not absolutely foul, is generally frouzy,
Darkness being favorable Tor repose, n
dim light is favorable for tattening ami
mails Thus feeding cattle ought to be
kept quiet, disturbed only at meal time,
and placed in comfortable, rather dark
pens. Poultry cramming for the table, for
cooped up in dark pens, to which light is
introduced only three or four times daily,
ut the regular hours of feeding. NORTH
British AQricUlturia