DISEASES OF THE EYE. 169 



part, by the eye-ball, or the end of Iws lash accidentally 

 strikes the eye, and, in either case, soreness and inflammation 

 follow.. Few horses would ever have diseased eyes if kept 

 in the open air and kindly cared for; nor would they be 

 much more likely to, if they were housed in well-kept and 

 properly-lighted stables. 



Any of the circumstances which we have thus enumerated, 

 especially when accompanied by a feverish condition of the 

 general system, are very apt to bring on more or less inflam- 

 mation about the eyes and head, frequently extending to the 

 lacrymal ducts, which have been described in the section on 

 blind staggers. These are closed up, so that no water can 

 pass through them. Thus they constantly increase the in- 

 flammation of the surrounding parts, and the eye becomes 

 worse and worse. 



NATURALLY WEAK EYES. 



Every farmer has heard, and probably talked, a great deal 

 about naturally weak eyes in different horses; and yet it may 

 be questioned whether the phrase is properly applicable once 

 in a hundred times when people use it. Natural weakness 

 or deficiency of the organ of sight, is extremely rare. It 

 must be confessed, however, that there does seem to be a 

 greater susceptibility of disease in some cases than in others. 

 When the water from the eyes runs down upon the outside, 

 it is an evidence that the lacrymal ducts, its natural channel, 

 are closed. It indicates an inflammatory condition of those 

 passages, which is very likely to be communicated to the 

 eyes. 



So far as our observation has extended, weak or inflamed 

 eyes have no connection with any particular stock of horses, 

 nor with any particular size, color, or shape of the eye, nor 

 yet with any color of the hair. Nor do "blind teeth " trouble 

 the horse much. If they are in the way, it is easy to knock 

 them out with a mallet and a hard piece of wood. But this 

 is seldom, if ever, necessary. Let them alone, and they will 

 come away of themselves, at the proper time. There is no 



