DEFECTIVE SIGHT. 71 



to po'mt them out. I should also be doing, or 

 attempting to do, what I do not hold it to be 

 my province to enlarge upon. I shall, therefore, 

 merely add what I trust may be useful to some 

 persons as hints when intending to purchase. 



In whatever state a horse's eyes may be, if de- 

 viating from a healthy one, and it is ascertained 

 that the imperfect state arises from his having 

 had an attack of ophthalmia, let him be rejected 

 at once ; for the purchaser will find himself de- 

 ceived, if he considers the state the horse may be 

 then in to be a permanent one, or one that will be- 

 come perfect. Making allowance for so sweeping 

 an assertion, a horse is never radically cured of a 

 severe attack of opthalmia, he may be partially so, 

 and it is possible, but by no means probable, that 

 the eyes may continue in that improved state. It 

 is not unlikely that this might be the case, if the 

 animal was always strictly kept to the same re- 

 gimen, and subject to the same treatment that 

 brought about the partial cure ; but let him get 

 to high feeding necessary to exertion, and let him 

 undergo such exertion, the chances are ten to one 

 he becomes as bad or perhaps worse than he ever 

 had been ; and if he is a delicate and weak con- 

 stitutioned one on whom work takes great effect, 

 I should say a return of the complaint would be 

 certain ; for this reason I recommend a horse in 

 this state being rejected, that is, at anything bor- 

 F 4 



