f4 Inflammation of the Eyes,. 



medical readers, as guilty of a very great omission, were I to refrain^ 

 from saying something upon Cataractj the common and almost uni- 

 f©rm upshot of Moon Blindness ; especially as the Cataract in the 

 human Eye, is frequently treated successfully by Surgeons, But it. 

 does not appear that the subjects of this disease amongst Horses, 

 have been operated upon, hitherto, by any Veterinarian with success ; 

 although the attempt has been made by several, and, if I am rightly 

 informed, by one of the first operators in London, repeatedly. 



This want of success in Cataract may be explained, in part ati 

 leasts by the utter impossibility of steadying the Horse's Eye during; 

 the operation. For, the animal is provided with a Muscle, at the. 

 back of the globe, called the Retractor ; which does not exist m 

 the human Eye, and with which he acts powerfully when any thin^ 

 oflfcnds the organ. 



And hence arises a common observation of Grooms and Stable- 

 Men, in cases of high active Inflammations, that the Horse's Eye 

 seems sunk in hig head, w'liich is indeed literally the case— For, Avhen- 

 the stimulus of light becomes painful to the highly inflamed Retina,, 

 the animal, acting instinctively with the Retractor Muscle, is ena- 

 bled to withdraw the Eye into the socket, and thus avoid a consider- 

 able portion of that pain, which he would otherwise be exposed to. 

 The effectual application of a speculum, therefore, is in this way 

 precluded, and the operator's fingers alone, are inadequate to the de- 

 desired purpose. After all, without the aid of glasses, the opera- 

 tion however successfully performed^ would be nugatory in its effects 

 to the animal. 



I liave thus brought together all the most material facts respecting^ 

 tUe treatment of the common diseases of the Eye of the Horse. 



