ON THE FORMATION OF CATARACT. 45 
Mr. Gibson says, “ that some have been foaled with cataracts 
or pearls in their eyes.” 
Now, after all that has been said, we must come to this con¬ 
clusion, that here are three cases of cataracts that had existed for 
many months, and, in some of them, most probably for a yeai oi 
two, and that have entirely disappeared, leaving the eye in a sound 
transparent state ; and that were, in every probability, produced 
without the usual symptoms of that specific inflammation which 
is generally the precursor of cataracts. 
1 am perfectly aware that it may be said, that they may have 
been foaled so; but I am not inclined to believe this, as it is most 
probable that they would have been sooner absorbed. In my 
mind the depositions were of far more recent dates. 
These cases, I think, will be the means of making us all take 
more notice ol the formation of tnese opacities, for we have 
hitherto thought, that, when once we detected an opaque speck, it 
was a cataract, and have concluded, as a matter of course, that the 
horse will go blind. It now appears, that we must inquueRe¬ 
specting its formation ; and notice particularly where it is situ¬ 
ated; as we find, from the foregoing cases, that pearls, opacities, 
or what are indiscriminately called cataracts, are sometimes found 
upon the capsule of the lens, and become sometimes absoroed. 
but whether similar ones of the lens themselves do, we have not 
the means of deciding. 
Since 1 have seen the two cases mentioned by me above, and 
.also knowing that Mr. Croft’s horse’s ey e got viell, my opinion 
respecting the decision of Mr. Croft’s trial is materially altcied ; 
for as Mr. Justice Taunton laid the law down, C( it was not 
enough for the plaintiff' to shew that the unsoundness did most 
probably exist at the time of sale ; but it was incumbent upon 
him to prove that this must of necessity have been the case” Now 
I have every reason to believe that Mr. Ilickman did not see the 
horse on the 4th of July, but on the 18th of that month, which 
makes twenty-five days between the sale and his return; I will, 
therefore, put it to the profession generally, whether there was not 
every probability that it might have formed in that time, either 
from inflammation, or from some unsuspected cause; as we well 
know that a horse may have a smart attack of inflammation, and 
the eye get clear again in less time than thut. Why may 
not, then, a small opacity have formed in the same period ? Again, 
I see no reason why a cataract may not form in the horse without 
inflammation, as well as it does in the human subject; and I am 
certain it does there, from having lately seen a medical gentle¬ 
man in this neighbourhood, who did not know he had one form- 
