125 



weak is far more liable to sustain serious injury 

 from the occurrence of those trifling accidents to 

 which all horses are exposed. 



It may be observed as a general rule, that all 

 diseases of a horse's eye^ except such as proceed 

 from accident and local injury, are incurable. To 

 couch the cataract in a man, is not very diflicult, 

 and generally perhaps, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, successful : but the inflammation caused 

 by the operation in the horse, and the uncontrol- 

 lable power of the retractor muscle, are too great to 

 afford even a bare chance of success. A paralytic 

 affection of the optic nerve is hopeless in the case 

 of man, and of course not less so in animals. Wo 

 purchaser therefore, should be tempted by the hope 

 of cure. And I would add, though I am aware 

 that I am opposed to some high authorities, that 

 when one eye is lost by disease, the sight of the 

 other, however sound it may appear, is not likely 

 to be long preserved. My advice is to have nothing 

 to do with any horse where the slightest trace of 

 disease is visible in the eye, unless you are pur- 

 chasing him for a mill. In that case you may 

 as well begin with a blind one. It is scarcely 

 :necessary to add that blindness, whether partial or 

 total, is of comparatively little consequence in a 

 horse intended solely for draught. The blinkers 



