2i8 THE HORSE 



Injuries to the Eyelids 



Injuries to the upper or lower eyelids are fairly common 

 in a horse, and may involve the skin only, or the cartilages 

 of the eyelids, and sometimes the mucous membrane 

 lining them. In the latter case a variable degree of 

 ophthalmia is an inevitable result, and this, in its turn, 

 not uncommonly leads to opacity of the cornea, which 

 further complicates matters, and may, if neglected, 

 result in either partial or complete blindness. 



Many of these injuries are, more or less, the result of 

 carelessness on the part of a stableman through leaving 

 a nail, or some other form of projection, in proximity to 

 the horse's head. A pointed hook, such as one often 

 sees in the farmer's stable for hanging tackle on, is an 

 occasional cause of an injury of this kind. In the simple 

 cases, that is, where the skin only is torn, the injury can 

 be dealt with, first of all by cleansing the part with warm 

 water, and after thoroughly drying it, painting it with 

 iodine ; afterwards, adjusting the torn edges by means 

 of sutures (see chapter on V/ounds), or what is much 

 simpler, by pins, which are particularly suitable for 

 injuries to the eyelids of the horse, because these can be 

 adjusted according to the degree of swelling, etc. The 

 pins are inserted through the skin about one-eighth of an 

 inch from the margins of the torn part, and then the skin is 

 drawn together by means of horsehair or silk wound round 

 the pins in the form of a figure of eight. The nurnxber of 

 pins required will vary with the extent of the wound, but 

 as a rule about three are usually sufficient. 



Under ordinary circumstances lacerations of the eye 

 lids in the horse heal fairly v/ell, but all will depend upon 

 the precautionar}^ measures which are adopted to prevent 

 the animal from rubbing the wound against the manger, 

 etc. In every instance it is expedient to call in a veterin- 

 ary surgeon, but when professional advice cannot be 

 obtained the measures outlined should be adopted. 



