avery's own farrier. 83 



fore that can heal. Before I proceed further, I will give 

 you the treatment to be observed in this case, in order to 

 effect a speedy 



Cure. — If necessary to allay the swelling and inflam- 

 mation by depletion of the paits, do it by opening the 

 vein at the corner of the eye, or bleeding in the nose 

 (for which directions will be found in another place); 

 physic, and the diet should be light and of a cooling na- 

 ture; bathe the eye and temples often with cold water, 

 until the inflammation is subdued; then if there should 

 be any film on the eye, take fresh butter or lard, and 

 dress it in the following manner: take it on the end of 

 your finger, and after chafing the temples, &c., you can 

 fill the eye with this dressing easily, do this once a day 

 until the film disappears, which will not be more than a 

 week at longest; and, generally speaking, one or two 

 dressings will be sufficient. 



There are other causes of blindness, one of which is com- 

 monly known by the name of hooks or haw of the eye. 

 Much has been said and written on this subject, and 

 some of the old masters have contended that the film or 

 cataract, in case of hooks, was a thickening of the 

 second membrane of the eye, and used to resort to (what 

 they called) a surgical operation of the eye to remove 

 it, by which many a valuable horse has been sacrificed; 

 while others have described it thus, which I think ap- 

 proximates a little nearer the truth; they say the horse 

 has a membrane, peculiar to the animal, which is drawn 

 at pleasure over the eye, to clear it of dirt accidentally 

 entering it, the enlargement of which, by inflammation, 

 produces what is called hooks. You have now only to 



