114 THE HORSE. 



Se very impatient of Hght, and the cornea be considerably cloudod ; tlie 

 aqueous humour then often loses its transparency, even the iris changes its 

 colour, and the pupil is exceedingly contracted. We have now an obsti- 

 nate disease to combat, and one which will generally maintain its ground in 

 spite of all our efforts. For three, or four, or five weeks, tlie inflammation 

 will remain undiminished, or, if it appears to yield on one day, it will return 

 with redoubled violence on the next. At length, and often unconnected 

 with any of the means we have been using, the eye begins to oear the light, 

 the redness on the membrane of the lid and the white of the eye somewhat 

 suddenly disappears, the cornea clears up, and the only vestige of disease 

 which remains is a slight thickening of the lids and apparent uneasinesa 

 when exposed to a very strong light. 



If we imagine that we have got rid of the disease, we shall be sadly dis- 

 appointed ; for in the course of six weeks or two months, either the same 

 eye undergoes a second and similar attack, or the other eye becomes 

 affected. All again seems to pass over, except that the eye is not so perfectly 

 restored, and a slight, deeply-seated cloudiness begins to appear; and after 

 repeated attacks, and alternations of disease from eye to eye, the affair ter- 

 minates in opacity of the lens or its capsule, attended with perfect blindness 

 either of one eye or both. This affection was formerly known by the name 

 of moon-hJindiiess, from its periodical return, and some supposed mfluence 

 of the moon. That planet, however, has not, and cannot have, any thing 

 to do with it. 



What is the practitioner doing all this while ? He is an anxious and 

 busy, but almost powerless spectator. He foments the eyes with warm 

 water, or applies cold lotions with the extract of lead or opium, or poultices 

 to which these drugs may be added ; he bleeds, not from the temporal 

 artery — for that does not supply the orbit of the eye — but from the angular 

 vein at the inner corner of the eye, or by scarifying the lining of the lid, or 

 by subtracting a considerable quantity of blood from the jugular. The 

 scarifying of the lids, which may be easily accomplished without a twitch, 

 by exposing the inside of the lids, and drawing a keen lancet slightly over 

 it, is the most effectual of all ways to abate inflammation ; for we are then 

 immediately unloading the distended vessels. He places his setons in the 

 cheek, or his rowels under the jaw ; and he keeps the animal low, and 

 physics, or gives fever medicine — digitalis, nitre, and emetic tartar; or, as 

 some have done, considering it as a constitutional disease, administers the 

 corrosive sublimate daily, in doses of a scruple. The disease, however, 

 ebbs and flows, retreats and attacks, until it reaches its natural termination, 

 blindness of one or both eyes. 



The horse is more subject to this disease from the age of four to six years 

 than at any other period. He has then completed his growth : he is full of 

 blood, and liable to inflammatory complaints, and the eye is the organ attacked 

 from a peculiar predisposition in it to inflammation, the nature or cause of 

 which cannot be explained. Every affection of the eye appearing about 

 this age must be regarded with much suspicion. It is a common opinion 

 that black horses are more subject to blindness than others. We have con- 

 siderable doubt about this, or rather we believe that colour has no influence 

 either in producing or aggravating the disease. 



As this malady so frequently destroys the sight, and there are certam 

 periods when the inflammation has seemingly subsided, and the inexpe- 

 rienced person would be deceived into the belief that all danger is at an 

 end, the eye should be most carefully examined at the time of ])urchase 

 and the examiner should be fullv aware of all the minute indications of 



