72 



Symptoms. — Watering of the eye, swollen lids, redness of the 

 mucous membrane exposed by the separation of the lids, and a 

 bluish opacity of the cornea, which is normally clear and trans- 

 lucent. The eyelids may be kept closed, the eyeball retracted, 

 and the haw protruded over one-third or one-half of the ball. 

 If the affection has resulted from a wound of the cornea, a white 

 speck or fleecy cloud is formed, and often blood vessels begin to 

 extend from the adjacent vascular covering of the eye to the 

 white spot, and that portion of the cornea is rendered perma- 

 nently opaque. 



Treatment. — The first thing is to remove the cause. Place the 

 horse in a dark stall, bathe with tepid water and the following 

 lotion: Zinc sulphate 30 grains, boric acid 1 dram, water 4 

 ounces. This treatment should be applied and continued twice 

 daily until the parts assume their normal condition. 



EECUREENT OPHTHALMIA — MOONBLINDNESS. 



This affection, sometimes called periodic ophthalmia, is an 

 inilammation of the interior of the eye, and is intimately related 

 to certain soils, climates, and systems, showing a strong tendency 

 to recur again and again, usually ending in blindness from cata- 

 ract or other serious injury. 



Symptoms vary according to the severity of the attack. In 

 some cases there is raarked fever. The local symptoms are in the 

 main those of ophthalmia; opacity advances from the margin over 

 a part or the whole of the cornea. An attack lasts from ten to 

 fifteen days. The attacks may follow each other at intervals of 

 a month, more or less, but they show no particular relation to 

 any particular phase of the moon. From five to seven attacks 

 usually result in blindness, and then the second eye is liable to be 

 attacked until it also is ruined. 



Treatment. — Is largely the same as that for common ophthal- 

 mia. During recovery a course of tonics is often very beneficial 

 and acts in assisting to ward off another attack. Such a tonic 

 is the following: Sulphate iron 1 ounce, gentian IJ^ ounces, nus 

 vomica 1)4, ounces. Make into twelve powders and give one 

 powder, in feed, twice a day. 



