578 THE DISEASES OF THE HORSE 



CHAPTER XXX 



DISEASES AND INJURIES OF CERTAIN SPECIAL ORGANS 



DISEASES OF THE EAR— DISEASES OF THE EYE — TORN EYELIDS — INFLAMMATION OF THE 

 EYES- -PERIODIC OR CONSTITUTIONAL OPIITHALMIA— CATARACT— AMAUROSIS —BUCK 

 EYE. 



DISEASES OF THE EAR 



Deafness is sometimes met with in the horse, but I know of no symptoms 

 by which its precise nature can be made out ; and without ascertaining the 

 seat of the disease, it is useless to attempt to treat it. 



Sometimes from a blow on the external ear inflammation is set up, and 

 an abscess forms ; but all that is necessary is to open it, so that the matter 

 can readily flow out as fast as it forms, without which pi'ecaution it will 

 not readily heal. Fistulous wounds are also met with and should be traced 

 to their source and laid open, unless the inner ear is involved, when operative 

 interference is not desirable. Keeping the meatus clean and using a little 

 antiseptic lotion, as carbolized oil or Condy's Fluid, is usually all that is 

 necessary, but sometimes these discharges are very oflensive, and a veterinary 

 surgeon should be asked to investigate the cause. 



DISEASES OF THE EYE 



Diseases op the eye and its appendages are happily of less frequent 

 occurrence in these da3"s than they were under the old bad system of dark 

 and ill-ventilated stables. Still, accidents will happen, and we will briefly 

 glance at a few of the commoner ones. 



TORN EYELIDS 



Rarely does this occur at work, but as a result of ennui in stable or 

 paddock. The veterinarian is frequently called in to patch up the most 

 ghastly-looking injuries, and it may be added with a very large measure 

 of success. In the stable the most frequent causes are nails in the walls or 

 mangers, splinters of wood, and rough edges against which the horse rubs his 

 face. Hunters in going through fences may get injuries to the eyes, but 

 they are seldom torn. 



Treatment consists in clearing the parts of any foreign body, and approxi- 

 mating the edges of the wounds by sutures as quickly as possible. A few 

 horses can be induced by the persuasion of the twitch to stand while this 

 operation is performed, and a painting of cocaine is a valuable aid, but with 

 well-bred or very irritable horses it is sometimes necessary to cast them in 

 order to get that perfect control which will enable the surgeon to bring the 



