CATARACT — GUTTA SERENA. 317 



local affection should be unheeded while a major 

 disease exists within the body. 



CATARACT. 



This is one of the terminations of inflammation of 

 the eye. It is opacity sometimes of the membrane 

 covering the crystalline lens ; but much oftener of the 

 lens itself. The dog is peculiarly subject to cataract. 

 The majority of old dogs become blind from this 

 cause. Nothing can be done, even from the commence- 

 ment of the obscurity of the lens ; for the part is too 

 deeply seated for our applications to reach it. 



GUTTA SERENA. 



This is another (somewhat unfrequent) cause of 

 blindness in the dog. The eye itself is perfectly 

 clear, but the retina — the expansion of the optic nerve 

 within the eye — is paralyzed, and consequently in- 

 sensible to the impression of light. There are indeed 

 very few instances of recorded successful treatment of 

 this species of blindness, and few of those recorded 

 cases will stand the test of rigid investigation. 



Much, however, depends on the cause of the dis- 

 order. If it is the consequence of violence, it never 

 can be cured. If it has come on very slowly, little 

 good can be expected^ but when it appears suddenly, 

 unaccompanied by disease, there is some slight hope. 

 In the last instance, however, gutta serena is best 

 treated by being left alone. Correct the health, and 

 there always is a probability that the attendant upon 

 a bad state of body will disappear. 

 p 3 



