CHAPTER XIV 

 RECURRENT OPHTHALMIA 



Recurrent ophthalmia is commonly known as 

 ''moon blindness" and periodic ophthahnia. It has no 

 relation to the moon's changes, but, being subject to 

 periodic attacks, it has been known by the latter name. 



It seems to be particularly confined to the horse, and 

 the favorite site of inflammation is the uveal tract, 

 though the whole structure of the eye may be involved. 

 An initial attack may apparently get well, but in the 

 course of thirty to ninety days it may recur, and if 

 these recun-ences continue the eye may be eventually 



lost. 



The true cause of the disease is not known, though 

 it is supposed to be of bacterial origin. Koch found 

 cocci in the aqueous, which when injected into the 

 normal eye of a horse produced a typic ophthahnia 

 with the loss of the eye. Other investigators have 

 found various organisms, but none has been definitely 

 determined to be the specific cause. The principal 

 predisposing cause is heredity. Law says, 'This heredi- 

 tary susceptibihty is so strong and pernicious that in- 

 telligent horsemen everywhere refuse to breed from a 



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