114 THE HORSE. 



be very impatient of light, and the cornea be considerably clouded : the 

 aqueous humor then often loses its transparency, even the iris changes ^ 

 its colour, and the pupil is exceedingly contracted. We have now an 

 obstinate disease to combat, and one which will generally maintain its 

 ground in spite of all our efforts. For three, or four, or five weeks, the 

 inflammation will remain undiminished, or if it appears to yield on one day, 

 it will return with redoubled violence on the next. At length, and often 

 unconnected with any of the means we have been using, the eye begins to 

 bear the light, the redness on the membrane of the lid and the white of 

 the eye somewhat suddenly disappears, the cornea clears up, and the only 

 vestige of disease which remains is a slight thickening of the lids, and 

 apparent uneasiness when exposed to a very strong light. 



If we imagine that we have got rid of the disease, we shall be sadly dis- 

 appointed, for in the course of six weeks or two months, either the same 

 eye undergoes a second and similar attack, or the other eye becomes af- 

 fected. All again seems to pass over, except that the eye is not so perfectly 

 restored, and a slight, deeply-seated cloudiness begins to appear ; and after 

 repeated attacks, and alternations of disease from eye to eye, the affair ter- 

 minates in opacity of the lens or its capsule, attended with perfect blindness 

 either of one eye or both. This affection was formerly known by the name 

 o^ moon-hlindness, from its periodical return, and some supposed influence 

 of the moon. Tiiat planet, however, has not, and cannot have any thing 

 to do with it. 



What is the practitioner doing all this while ? He is an anxious and 

 busy, but almost powerless spectator. He foments the eyes with warm 

 water, or applies cold lotions with the extract of lead or opium, or poultices 

 to which these drugs may be added ; he bleeds, not from the temporal 

 artery, for that does not supply the orbit of the eye, but from the angular 

 vein at the inner corner of the eye, or by scarifying the lining of the lid, or 

 by subtracting a considerable quantity of blood from the jugular. The 

 scarifying of the lids, which may be easily accomplished without a twitch, 

 by exposing the inside of the lids, and drawing a keen lancet slightly over 

 it, is the most effectual of all ways to abate inflammation, for we are 

 then immediately unloading the distended vessels. He places his setons 

 in the cheek, or his rowels under the jaw ; and he keeps the animal low, 

 and physics, or gives fever medicine (digitalis, nitre, and emetic tartar) ; 

 or, as some have done, considering it as a constitutional disease, admi- 

 nisters the corrosive sublimate daily in doses of a scruple. The disease, 

 however, ebbs and flows, retreats and attacks, until it reaches its natural 

 termination, blindness of one or both eyes. 



The horse is more subject to this disease from the age of four to six years 

 than at any other period. He has then completed his growth : he is full 

 of blood, and liable to inflammatory complaints, and the eye is the organ 

 attacked from a peculiar predisposition in it to inflammation, the nature 

 or cause of which cannot be explained. Every affection of the eye ap- 

 pearing about this age must be regarded with much suspicion. It 

 is a common opinion that black horses are more subject to blindness than 

 others. We have considerable doubt about this, or rather we believe that 

 colour has no influence either in producing or aggravating the disease. 



As this malady so frequently destroys the sight, and there are cer- 

 tain periods when the inflammation has seemingTy subsided, and the in- 

 experienced person would be deceived into the belief that all danger is at 

 an end, the eye should be most carefully examined at the time of purchase, 

 and the examiner should be fully aware of all the minute indications of 



