l^Q NAVm ON THE HORSE. 



servant. But tliis is not the only punishment inflicted; for, 

 in addition to the accmmdation of manure in the stable, con- 

 stantly emitting irritating gases which affect the eyes, these 

 stables are generally kept so tight that no fresh air and no ray 

 of lio-ht can enter them ; and when the horse, after bemg con- 

 fined" in this loathsome dungeon, comes into the light, he 

 shrinks from it with pain. And the poor animal if he could 

 only speak, would doubtless exclaim, "Better to dwell m the 

 midst of alarms than live in this horrible place." 



The o-reat majority of horses that go blind will be found to 

 have been kept in such places, and, perhaps, overworked at 

 the same time. A signal loss is even attendant on such a 

 course; for, in addition to the liability of the horse to take 

 inflammation of the eyes and become blind, it takes more feed 

 to keep him, and he can not perform near the amount of labor 

 he otherwise would. I have traveled in several States of the 

 Union, as well as in difl-erent parts of Europe, and have 

 Wnd that, where horses are properly stabled, fed, and worked 

 blindness is seldom known. Whereas, where they are kept 

 in the dark, filthy, and illy ventilated hovels before referred 

 to, nearly one-fourth of the horses become blind, and many 

 others affected with weakness of the eyes. 



Such cruelty to a valuable animal like the horse should 

 call down the contempt of community, and even be punished 

 by the penalty of the law. No man is justified m thus de- 



stroying an animal. „,,.-, 4. n 



Treatment-Yeij few of these cases of blindness are at all 

 curable The cause of the difficulty must be removed, the 

 horse restored to a state of nature, as nearly as possible, and 

 - en the proper medicine given, such as the case may mdi- 

 ,te But little prospect of curing such cases can be enter- 

 tained I am of the opinion that more good will be accom- 

 Dlishcd by giving the horse ten grains of calomel, three times 

 a day, with a small quantity of bran, than by any other treat- 

 ment In most of such cases there is a deposit of what is 

 called coagulable lymph in the dark part of the eye, causing 



