110 CATARACT. 



fore certain that the animal never experienced ophthahnic disorder. 

 It being, from the evidence adduced, however, considered that the 

 cataract could not possibly form within twenty-four days, the period 

 the animal's eyes remained unexamined, the jury concluded that 

 the cataract must have existed prior to sale, and on that ground 

 gave the plaintiff their verdict. 



Mr. Cartwright, V.S., Whitchurch, in The Veterina- 

 rian for 1834, revives this interesting subject in the shape of an 

 analysis of and commentary on this trial ; and so much to the 

 purpose are his remarks, that I feel I need offer no apology for intro- 

 ducing them here to my reader. 



On this trial, " Messrs. Hickman of Shrewsbury, Collier of Chester, and 

 Richards and Crowe of Shrewsbury, veterinary surgeons, all gave evidence, 

 ' that a cataract never forms in the horse except as the consequence of re- 

 peated inflammation in the eye.' " 



"Mr. Clay, of Shrewsbury, examined for the defendant, said, 'that cata- 

 racts may be formed in a fortnight or three weeks, and^that he has known 

 many instances where they had been formed in less time ; that he has known 

 them to be formed without active inflammation^ and ivithoiit any previous ap- 

 parent disease of the eyes ; and has detected them when the owners had not 

 the slightest suspicion of any disease in the eyes, and had declared that no 

 previous inflammation had been observed. He (Mr. Clay) thought it not im- 

 probable that a small cataract like the one in question might form between 

 the time that the horse was sold and that when the disease was discovered,* 

 which was either ten or twenty-four days ; the period being, as remarked by 

 Mr. Cartwright, apparently 'disputed,' and in consequence making 'mate- 

 rial difference.' " 



Mr. Hickman, desirous of having so important a question answered by the 

 highest authorities, wrote both to Mr. Coleman and Mr. Apperley. In his 

 letter to the Professor, he reminded him that, when a pupil at the College, he 

 was taught by lectures " that cataracts never appear suddenly or without 

 previous inflammation in the horse ; but not so in the human subject " Mr. 

 Hickman, receiving no reply to^his letter from the Professor, submitted the 

 three following questions to Mr. Apperley : — 



1 . " Do cataracts appear in the eye of the horse suddenly, without the eye 

 first being in a state of inflammation ?" 



" Certainly not.''* 



2. " Do you think that a cataract could have formed within twenty days, 

 without previous inflammation ?" 



" I never knew nor heard of such a case."' 



