108 ACCOUNT OF A NON-DESCRIPT WORM 



This disease often follows blows or external injuries ; but 

 also frequently occurs without this previous cause. After 

 weakness, watering, and inflammation of the horse's eye, it as- 

 sumes a whitish look, and then the worm may be plainly ob- 

 served, of a white colour, swimming with great briskness and 

 activity through the aqueous humour. The cure depends up- 

 on its being extracted, without which, I believe, that the eye 

 is always lost by suppuration. I have known several medical 

 gentlemen attain much dexterity in performing this extrac- 

 tion. The mode of proceeding is as follows : Being provided 

 with a common lancet, armed at the shoulders by being wrap- 

 ped round with tow, the operator places himself by the horse's 

 head, next to the diseased eye, and moving his hand gently 

 up, so as not to alarm the horse, he thus watches the opportu- 

 nity of the eye's being well open, and then suddenly plunges 

 the lancet through the lower and fore part of the cornea, di- 

 recting the point across, and at the same time cutting down- 

 wards. The aqueous humour being in this manner suddenly 

 evacuated, by a gush, or in a stream, the worm passes out 

 along with it. The eye is then covered up, and kept wetted 

 with a cooling solution. When the extraction has been suc- 

 cessfully performed, and the aqueous humour is again resto- 

 red, the vision is found unimpaired. 



The fineness and small size of the worm sometimes prevent 

 its being found, even when the extraction has been successful- 

 ly performed. It is frequently detected, however, in the track 

 of the aqueous humour over the horse's face. When picked 

 up, it generally appears to be dead, at least I have met with 

 none which retained any appearance of life. I have seen none 

 of them so long as the nail of the thumb. It is of a grey- 

 white colour, very soon lies flat and flaccid, and appears to be 

 not much broader or thicker than a horse's hair. My friend 



Dr 



