DISEASES OF THE EYE. 409 



sanitary laws were indifferently applied to stable management. But 

 isolated cases occurring where the stable management is undoubtedly 

 good, he thinks may probably depend on minor causes acting on the 

 organ, which is, either from hereditary predisposition or from defective 

 structure, abnormally susceptible. For instance, high feeding causing 

 fever and slight inflammatory symptoms, or excessive or deficient light, 

 or other such minor causes may in horses so predisposed bring on a 

 disease in the Eyes. 



An opinion has gained ground of late years, that the malady is allied 

 to rhemnatic inflammation in many, if not in all cases ; and that it owes 

 its origin to the same or similar causes as that disease. Hence some 

 modern scientific Veterinarians have designated it rheumatic ophthalmia. 

 The iris is the chief seat of disease, — -a circumstance which, under the 

 above supposition as to its origin, might be explained not only by the 

 high vascularity of that organ, but also by its structure being almost 

 entirely muscular. Cold damp stables in which other rheumatic affec- 

 tions are most apt to occur, yield more cases of Specific Ophthalmia than 

 perhaps any others. 



846. Treatment. 



Active treatment is practically useless. The best chance is to turn the 

 horse out to grass. If cataract begins to form, the disease will run 

 its course. 



As the disease, whether it arises from hereditary taint, or from any of 

 the other causes mentioned above, is constitutional, the treatment must 

 be mainly constitutional, though of course local remedies must not be 

 neglected. Treatment, however, though every sort and kind of experi- 

 ment has been tried, has not as yet often proved very successful in pre- 

 venting a recurrence of the attacks. A laxative followed by calomel and 

 opium in large doses (60 grains of the former and half a drachm of the 

 latter) twice a day for several days in succession as soon as effusion has 

 taken place, is now generally recommended. 



Special regard should, in all cases, be paid to the causes from which it 

 seems probable that the disease may have arisen. When an isolated case 

 of disease is clearly traceable to hereditary taint, not much hope of relief 

 can be held out. But where the disease is general amone: the horses, or 

 frequent in any particular establishment, we may be pretty sure that 

 some gross mismanagement exists, and it will be necessary entirely to 

 reform the stable arrangements. Stable management is too large a 

 question to be discussed incidentally, and the author must refer the 

 reader to the chapter bearing on that subject. The best grooming, the 

 best feeding, the utmost care, carefully regulated exercise, good ventila- 

 tion, attention to the due and proper admission of light, and the adminis- 

 tration of tonics, afford the best chance of enabling nature to throw off 

 the present and to resist future attacks of the disease. 



No yQTj great results can be expected from local treatment : but still 

 no item, which can give relief, should be neglected. The patient should 

 be placed in a cool ventilated loose box, and a diminished light only 



