] 70 THE CANADIAN- HORSE 



and the V appetite impaired. These symptoms may continue 

 for several days, and then gradually disappear, or they may 

 be prolonged for weeks, and end only with the destruction of 

 the eye. A prominent and well-marked symptom of this 

 disease, is its shifting from one eye to the other ; in many 

 cases one eye has no sooner recovered than the other becomes 

 affected. At other times recovery is rapid, and to all appear- 

 ance the eye looks perfectly healthy ; in a short time, how- 

 ever, the disease returns, and ' often with increased severity. 

 As the disease stUl further advances, the eye begins to clear, 

 the cornea becoming transparent, leaving a slight muddiness 

 in the anterior part (chamber) of the eye ; the piipil dimin- 

 ishes in size, and the disease gradually terminates in more 

 or less" opacity of the crystalline lens or its capsule, consti- 

 tuting cataract. 



Treatment. — As a general rule, the treatment of specific 

 opthalmia is very unsatisfactory, but still medicinal remedies 

 are found beneficial in paUiating the disease. The horse 

 should be placed in a comfortable and darkened loose-box, 

 with a plentiful supply of pure air. A brisk dose of purga- 

 tive medicine may be administered, and, if much constitu- 

 tional fever is present, ten drops of the tincture of aconite 

 should be given every three hours, until six or eight doses 

 are given. Bleeding from the facial vein, followed by fomen-. 

 tations of hot water. After the third or fourth day, cold 

 applications are preferable to hot. The extract of belladonna 

 may be applied around the orbits, and also administered in- 

 ternally in doses of two scruples, three times a-day. When 

 the acute inflammatory symptoms are somewhat abated, the 

 absorption of the effused products by a stimulating coUy- 

 rium, as, , • 



Sulphate of zinoJ ■ . . 10 grains, 



Distilled water, , . , . 1 ounce, ^ 



or any of the collyria. (See page 212.) M,/,'^ '^^'' 



