94 PRECAUTIONS IX BUYING A HORSE 



dark the pupil lias to dilate and to contract again 

 in the light; the best way to find this out is by 

 holding the hand over the horse's eye and then 

 suddenly removing it, in consequence ol which the 

 sudden action of the bright light will cause the 

 pupil to contract. The little funguses which are 

 located in the anterior corners of the eyes, must 

 not c:>ver the pupils. If the eye is not possessed 

 of these requisites, we may conclude that it is 

 diseased. 



Amaurosis is a peculiar defect of the sight, 

 which is only known to connoisseurs. This is a 

 complete loss of sight, with immobility and per- 

 manent contraction of the pupil, although the eye 

 looks bright and clear. As regards the parts sur- 

 rounding the eye, the lids must be free from ulcer- 

 ation, the canthia and lachrymal bones must not 

 exhibit any bald spots, and the orbits must be 

 lean. The jaws should be narrow and lean and 

 not too close together in front ; the nostrils should 

 be wide and open, and of a bright red within ; the 

 muzzle must look bright and foamy ; the tongue 

 and pahte must not be injured; the teeth and 

 gums have to be sound, for horse-dealers frequently 

 resort to tricks in order to turn the appearance of 

 these parts to their own advantage. By knocking 

 off or pulling out the middle four milk teeth, two in 

 the upper and two in the lower jaws, horses of two 

 years old may be made to appear three years old, 

 and by pulling out the next four milk-teeth horses of 

 three years may be made to appear four years old. 

 This fraud may be easily discovered, because the 

 milk-teeth can 'never be pulled out entire with the 

 root, and the permanent teeth do not show them- 

 selves in the sockets in their rudimentary begin- 

 nings, as is the case when the milk-teeth are 

 pushed out naturally by the permanent teeth. On 



