186 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



" Dlminislied fippetlte, swelling of the hind legs, faintness in 

 work, apparent fulness of abdomen, slight uneasiness, sometimes 

 looking back, or lying down, but without rolling, have been 

 the deviations from health first noticed. After this period the 

 pulse may be scarcely altered, but soon becomes frequent and 

 feeble ; the buccal and schneiderian membranes appear, at first, 

 of their natural colour, afterward paler, or pale yellow, lastly 

 blanched. There is, occasionally, sighing, the size of the ab- 

 domen increases, the tongue becomes furred and disagreeable, 

 the ears are clammy, the bulk of the body reduces, owing to 

 the absorption of the fatty parts, the horse gets weaker, the 

 l^upil of one or both eyes gradually dilates, from the diminished 

 sensibility of the retina to light, until the eyes become com- 

 pletely amaurotic. It is a remarkable fact that, notwithstanding 

 the patient may rally for a time from the disease, regain his 

 strength and condition, and return to work, I have never seen 

 nor heard of a single Instance of the recovery of sight ; although, 

 in one case, the horse worked for twelve months afterwards. 

 Amaurosis more commonly occurs after the second or third 

 attack. 



" If the haemorrhage be beneath the peritoneal Investment, or 

 in the substance of the liver, or under the peritoneum, and 

 ceases, the symptoms consequent upon the loss of blood di- 

 minish ; and about the third day of such improvement, the pre- 

 viously blanched conjunctiva and buccal membranes are tinged 

 with a yellow colour, which gradually deepens, and, after a few 

 days, red vessels are seen ramifying on the bile-coloured mem- 

 branes, and the natural hue is soon restored. At the same time, 

 corresponding improvement takes place In the other symptoms, 

 the pulse becomes fuller and less frequent, the sighing ceases, 

 the size of the belly diminishes, the horse begins to feed, and lies 

 down; he has, however, undergone a most extraordinary re- 

 duction In the size of his body: If fat prior to the attack, the 

 reduction is more sudden, and manifestly greater in this than in 

 any other disease with which the horse is affected. 



" The urine and fneces during the attack remain unaltered ; 

 but, In the animal's approach to convalescence, the urine has 

 been observed. In some cases, of a deep brown, or nearly black 

 colour. From what has been joremlsed, it Is evident that the 

 existence of this disease Is only known when the whole or part 

 of the liver Is Irreparably destroyed, and, therefore, but little can 

 be expected from the aid of the veterinary art, save the prevent- 

 ing the abuse of those depletive measures, particularly venesec- 

 tion, to which non- veterinary j^ersons are so apt to have recourse 

 in all kinds of ailments, and by which patients of this class have 

 been a little sooner hurried off. Still, however, those styptic 

 and astringent medicaments may be employed, which are re- 



