106 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



are most abundant in low, wet places. The bite is very 

 painful, and is probably slightly poisonous. These flies are 

 more troublesome to cattle than to horses, and cause them 

 to run into the water, after which they come out and stand 

 in the sun, causing an irritation of the skin around the heels 

 and the formation of abscesses, until the heels become each 

 a mass of suppuration. 



Treatment. — Wash the parts nicely, and use ol, lini., ol. 

 picis, tr. benzoin., partes equales. Carbolic acid lotion is also 

 highly useful. Keep the animal in during the day, and 

 allow to run at night. All animals, but particularly sheep, 

 suffer now and then from the blow-fly. If there be a wound, 

 or the animal is suff'ering from purpura hsemorrhagica, often 

 the parts become fly-blown and maggots form. This is 

 more common in England than in America. In some parts 

 of the latter country the flies deposit their ova in the ear of 

 the horse, even when the animal is perfectly healthy, free 

 from wounds, etc., and considerable annoyance is caused 

 thereby. 



Treatment. — Protect the parts ; use carbolic acid lotion and 

 mild astringent lotions, preparations containing tar, etc. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Diseases of the Eyes, 



SIMPLE OPHTHALMIA. 



This is also called conjunctivitis, which is by no means 

 a bad name. It is also called traumatic ophthalmia, for 

 the reason that it is due to an injury in a large majority of 

 cases. It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. There 

 are, of course, cases where the inflammation is not confined 

 to the conjunctiva, but involves more of the structure. 



Causes. — Simple ophthalmia is always the result of an 



