388 SNAKE in a HORSE’s EYE. 
in length, fince the infpection at Elizabeth-town, and which 
is as thick as a knitting needle, or piece of common twine, 
as nearly as can be determined through the intervening 
medium, the aqueous and vitreous humours of the eye 
are confounded (the fine cellular texture of the latter be- 
ing broke down) and tinged with the fofteft part of the 
cryftalline, fo as to aflume fomewhat of a white milky ap- 
pearance, bordering on the colour of a cataract, The Iris 
appears to be greatly dilated, or rather wholly deftroyed. 
For the feptum, or partition which feparates the anterior 
from the pofterior chambers, in a found eye, muft be broken 
down, as the animal, or, to {peak like a {ceptic, the animal 
appearance of a {nake is continually receding into thé 
fundus and back part, and by times coming forward into 
the anterior part of the eye, with a convoluted brifk mo- 
tion. I cannot think a {nake of the fame fize moving 
brifkly in a tumbler-ful of fair water, or of water dif- 
coloured with a tea-{poonful of milk, would be more 
vifible; but the coats of the eye and humours have now 
fomewhat of a milky appearance, or colour of an incipi- 
ent cataract. 
It may be juftly prefumed, that whatever might be the 
ftate' of vifion, at firft appearance of this furprifing phe= 
nomenon, that eye muft be now blind. ‘The lids are 
commonly clofed, probably owing to pain excited in the 
eye by fo troublefome a gueft; but there is no bloodfhot 
appearance on the cornea, though the furrounding parts, 
namely, the palpebrz, are a little tumid. To get a view 
of the eye, the keeper commonly ftrikes the horfe on its back 
with an open hand, at which, as if frightened, it opens the 
lid of the left, as well as widens the opening of the right 
eye, which continues difclofed but a fhort time; however 
this gives an opportunity for infpection for five or fix fe- 
conds of time together, and the blows mutt be repeated 
to keep the eye open, when a perfon withes to have a 
longer time for infpection. 
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