64 Moon Blindness 



ing the swelling. When nodules are present on tlie lid they should be 

 painted with a two per cent silver nitrate solution twice a day. This 

 can be applied with a small feather and glass rod. Pulling the eye- 

 lashes when examining the eye-lids is inducive to inflamation and should 

 be avoided. 



MOON BLINDNESS 



(Opthalmia) 



The cause of this disease has not been established. Some believe 

 it to be caused by irrit^^tions of the eye as a blow from a whip or by 

 foreign matter in the eye. Some believe it hereditary. I do not be- 

 lieve this is a hereditary disease, I believe it is the result of the trans- 

 mission from the parent to the off-spring, a pair of weak eyes, which 

 make the off-spring more susceptible or more capable of developing 

 opthalmia. I have seen horses with opthalmia when all their ancestors 

 for a number of generations were free from the disease. In a large 

 number of cases of opthalmia the horses have been over-worked or 

 worked when in poor condition, or been forced to exposure, or to irri- 

 tant or poisonous substances, among such substances I would mention, 

 weed pollen, excessive pulling, dust, blows with whips or foreign parti- 

 cles in the eye. Compelling a horse to stand daily with direct sunlight 

 shining in the eye predisposes to eye troubles. 



SYMPTOMS 



The eye-lids are swollen and the horse often keeps the eyes parti- 

 ally or entirely closed in an effort to break the rays of light. This 

 disease almost without exception effects only one eye at a time, but be- 

 fore many weeks the other eye becomes effected. 



Some cases gradually get worse and periodic recoveiry never follows, 

 other cases apparently get well for a period only to receive a second at- 

 tack leaving much worse results than the first. Some cases develop a 

 distinct cloudiness in the beginning but in some cases cloudiness is hard 

 to detect in the open sunlight until subsequent attacks. Some horses are 

 able to see where they are going foj- years, while some lose the sight in 

 a few weeks. The eyes eventually become a watery, milky white. 



TREATMENT 



This disease is incurable. Wlien it is treated a mild physic is 

 given, darkened stalls and a cooling and soothing solution such as 3 



