114 CATARACT. 



" A bay mare, now coming five years old, when first broken two years ago, 

 was accidentally submitted to my inspection. I perceived two small cataracts 

 in the off eye. After close inquiry 1 could not hear that any symptoms of 

 inflammation had been observed, and from that time until now the disease 

 has not progressed ; but when, a week ago, she came under ray treatment for 

 lameness, there loas hut one cataract remaining.^'' 



" A half-bred gelding had ophthalniia when two or three years old, and a 

 cataract was the result. I had an opportunity of examining his eyes several 

 times within the next two or three years. The cataract was evidently dimi- 

 nishing, and when, some months afterwards, I looked for it, it was gone.'"' 



Mr. Hales, V.S., Oswestry, a gentleman well known to 

 the readers of The VETERINARIAN, in July of the same year, 

 1834, communicates to us important information on the same sub- 

 ject; he being, as he says, 'Hhe first veterinarian in his district 

 that publicly avowed that cataracts sometimes formed without 

 previous inflammation, if not the first who entertained such an 

 opinion." 



Mr. Hales continues — " I have for some years been convinced of the fact, 

 that small cataracts are observed in the eye of the horse without their having 

 been preceded by inflammation ; and I have in my memory at this moment 

 half-a-dozen cases that have so arisen. In several of them, the owners of 

 the horses were unconscious of any disease in the eye, and have assured 

 me they had not the slightest suspicion that the eye was not perfectly 

 good. Mr. Croft's case (alluding to the trial of Roberts versus Croft) 

 is precisely in point." — "In these kinds of cataracts there is no difference to 

 be seen between the eye affected by the disease and a healthy one, except 

 the appearance of the cataract : they are equally clear and lucid, which, 

 I believe, is never the case when once the eye has been attacked with specific 

 ophthalmia. The opacity is small and well-defined, and I consider its seat to 

 be the capsule of the lens." 



" Mr. Percivall, Mr. Cartwright, and Mr. Harris, state that they have known 

 cases in which cataracts have been absorbed." — " It has never fallen to my 

 lot to see a case of this description." 



" Two years ago I bought a horse from a friend, and having known the 

 animal for a long time, and being satisfied my friend would not deceive me, 

 I made no examination of him at the time of purchase. But, on the morning 

 after he was delivered, I found one eye iiifiamed^ and, on looking into it, saw 

 what I considered to be a cataract, about the size of rather a large pin's head. 

 I made up my mind that I was done, and wrote to the gentleman on the sub- 

 ject ; who, in reply, declared that he had never seen or known any thing the 

 matter with the horse's eye, but would take him back if required to do so. 



