Chap. XXIII. Of Moon-Eyes, <tc\ 79 



Moft People are of Opinion that this Diftemper is here- 

 ditary, as well as govern'd by the Moon ; and therefore that 

 it is never to be cured. It is very crue, a perfed: Cure is ve- 

 ry hard to be efFeftuated, efpecially when it has beer of 

 long Continuance ; but I am very fure, and fo muft every 

 one whe is the leaft acquainted with the animal Oeconomy, 

 that tho' a Horfe may naturally be of fuch a Conftitution, 

 as will difpofe him more particularly to this Diftemper, yet 

 the fame may proceed from any other Caufe. We Ihall 

 therefore put an End to this Chapter, by inferring an Obfer- 

 vation of one Taquetus^ as it is recited by the Sieur de Sol- 

 leyfell, becaufe it may be of Service to Gentlemen who 

 breed Horfes, fince it is more eafy to prevent Difeafes by pro- 

 per Keeping, than it is to remove them when once they 

 have got fure Footing. Solleyfelh Words are thefe. 



*' This is an hereditary Diftemper, and . ^Mr^ .• - 

 " thererore great i-are muft be taken to ^^ Taquetus 

 •* chule Stallions that have good Eyes ; it ^^t c^SolIeyfell. 

 " may alfo be occafion'd by the Foal's eat- 

 *' ing Oats with his Dam when he is but one Year old, or 

 *' younger ; for by their ftraining and endeavouring to chew 

 ** the Oats, the Veins above and about the Eyes are 

 ** ftretched and diftended ; and confequently dn.w too 

 *' much Blood to thofe Parts, which by the too great 

 ** Quantity of Nouriihment, are heated and render'd ob- 

 ** noxious either to that kind which follows the Courfe of 

 *' the Moon, or to the other, which waftes and deftroys 

 *' the Eye. I have borrowed this Obfervation from a 

 ** Treatife concerning Horfes, compos'd by one Johii ^a- 

 '* quet^ who exprelly affirms. That the Lofs of a Foal's 

 ** Eye is not occafioned by the Subftance of the Oats, 

 " which may be fuppofed to heat them, but only by their 

 *' ftraining too hard in chewing that hard Sort of Food ; 

 *' and to prevent thofe fatal Confequences, headvifes thofe 

 *' who have Foals, to caufe their Oats to be ground or 

 ** ftamp'd : by which Means, he fays, they will grow 

 *' ftrong and lufty, without the leaft Danger of Rheums, 

 *' or any other Infirmity in the Eyes. 



I (hall only add to what Taquet has judicioufly obferv'd, 

 that over-much Feeding, of whatever Kind, as it eafily 

 caufes an over-plenitude in young Horfes, who eat heartily, 

 may therefore very readily bring Defluxions and other 

 Weakneffes upon the Eyes : And many of our Englijh 

 Colts fuffer by an Excefs of this Kind, as others do by be- 

 ing 



