ophthalmia ; its Symptoms. 22 J 



is deceptive ; it is only the lull before the storm ; 

 it seldom happens that it is gone, for in six weeks 

 or two months we too frequently find the eye 

 again affected with all its former redness, and 

 often worse than on the first attack. Sometimes 

 both eyes are affected ; indeed, from time to time 

 a succession of these abatements and attacks will 

 have succeeded one another until a cloudy ap- 

 pearance and permanent opacity of the lens or 

 capsule of the eye has taken place, and confirmed 

 blindness in one or both eyes has resulted. The 

 cause of this complaint is to be looked for in bad 

 ventilation of stables. The constantly heated air 

 of the stable may be considered the remote cause 

 of this disease, to which all horses seem to be 

 predisposed. The poisoned air is a powerful agent 

 in propagating ophthalmia, yet how few pay any 

 regard to their ventilation, and what are generally 

 considered the best stables are oftentimes the 

 worst ventilated. To this may be added the too 

 frequent use of stables which are totally dark, 

 so that when the animal is suddenly brought to 

 the light, the abrupt transition produces spas- 

 modic effect on the muscles and vessels of the 

 eye, and causes that excessive inflammation which 

 accompanies this disease. When this disease first 

 makes its appearance, the inside of the eyelids 

 should be freely lanced, which often has the effect 

 of stopping the complaint. The horse should be 

 put upon low diet, and gentle purgative medicine 

 given. Bleeding at the temporal artery has often 

 been beneficial in diseases of the eye. When 

 the cornea presents a cloudy appearance, bleeding 



