CONDITION OF HUNTERS RESUMED 275 



pictured on the retina of each eye, whilst we have two, 

 yet we do not see the object double, but the same as 

 if we looked at it with only one. 



The horse enjoys a much wider range of lateral 

 vision than man, and he can direct it backwards, 

 which the latter is unable to do. This extensive 

 and varied view not only serves to guide him in 

 his rambles in quest of food ; but, adds he, since 

 his principal weapons of defence are his heels, with 

 what certainty could he have directed their stroke without 

 this faculty ? 



The eyesight of a hunter should be absolutely 

 perfect, and no professional man would ever dream of 

 passing such a horse as even usefully sound. 



Nebulous deposits upon the cornea ; displacement of 

 the corpora nigra ; adhesion of the iris to the lens ; 

 cataract ; amaurosis or glass eye ; ophthalmia and 

 (in tropical countries) filariae (worms) are the chief 

 diseases attacking the visual organs. 



Necessarily any of the aforesaid abnormalities 

 constitutes unsoundness and most of these are of a 

 permanent (ophthalmia, etc., excepted) nature. 

 When purchasing a hunter, in fact any horse, the 

 Editor strongly advises gentlemen to have a pro- 

 fessional examination (not the examination of an 

 unqualified veterinary surgeon), so that much annoy- 

 ance and expense may be saved. He is sorry to say 

 that the selection of horses is frequently entrusted by 

 gentlemen to coachmen and grooms, who know 

 nothing whatsoever as to the intricacies involved in 

 the examination of horses as to soundness. 



