34 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 



hardly open its eyelids from the pain produced by 

 exposing the eye to the action of light. This disease 

 is extremely difficult to combat ; and after a month's 

 constant treatment the eye will exhibit an alternation 

 of remission and increase of the inflammation day after 

 day. One day it will have all the appearance of being 

 nearly well, and on the next exhibit more unfavourable 

 symptoms than it has before assumed : the gorged 

 appearance of the inner membrane of the eyelid will 

 be much abated, and the inflammation on the white 

 of the eyeball will have nearly quitted it ; the hazy 

 aspect of the cornea have assumed a certain degree of 

 clearness, and to all appearance the malady has taken 

 its departure. 



It seldom happens, however, that it is so, for in 

 six weeks or two months we too frequently find the 

 eye again affected with all its former redness, often 

 worse than on the former attack ; or oftentimes both 

 eyes affected. Indeed, from time to time a succession 

 of these abatements and attacks will have succeeded 

 one another, until a cloudy appearance and permanent 

 opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye have taken 

 place ; and confirmed blindness in one or both eyes 

 is the final result. 



Cause. — The constant heated air of the stable 

 may be considered the remote cause of this inveterate 

 disease, to which all horses seem to be predisposed. 

 The poisoned air is also a powerful agent in the 

 propagation of ophthalmia. To these may be added 

 the too frequent use of stables which are totally dark, 

 so that when the animal is suddenly brought to the 

 light, the abrupt transition produces congestion of 

 blood in the vessels of the eyes. In some cases it is 

 an hereditary affection, and animals with specific 

 ophthalmia should not be bred from. 



