ON CATARACT. 
139 
put you in possession ot a few practical observations which have 
occurred to me. . . 
To the point, then, as regards cataract, and the opinions of 
persons quoted by Mr. Cartwright, and in some mcasuie consi¬ 
dered to be confirmed by Mr. Coleman and Nimrod, viz. that 
cataract only occurs when preceded by inflammation. Fo this 
I beg to give a positive dissent: not that I would be understood, 
by meeting the subject thus abruptly, to convey an idea that 
cataract, or that opacity of the lens which we so often meet with, 
is not generally the effect of repeated and long-continued attacks 
of inflammation ; but that I have met with many cases where 
there has been one or more inconsiderable opaque spots on the 
lens that have not been preceded by inflammation, and that I have 
never been able to satisfy myself that their presence has in any 
way impaired the vision. 
Some time since I called on a friend, who was anxious to shew 
me his mare, not professionally, but because he had foimed an 
exceedingly high opinion ol her. W hen she was led to the dooi 
of the stable, I discovered that she had two cataracts. I men¬ 
tioned the circumstance to him, but he could scarcely credit it; 
and he assured me that the animal was bred by himself, that 
she had never been ill in any respect, and that her eyes had evei 
been bright and free from disease. 
Mr. Coleman, giving his opinion on the subject, founded on 
his practice, as all men should do (and from which, m this in¬ 
stance, I dare say that he never saw an exception), is not to be 
blamed; for when we consider the peculiar situation in which he 
is placed, we shall not be surprised that he should be in the dark 
on this point. When a horse is taken to the Veterinary College 
with diseased eyes, that disease is generally as apparent as the 
sun at noon day. Every helper in the stables sees immediately 
that the horse has inflamed eyes: and, had not that been visible 
to the master or the groom, the horse would never have been 
sent there. This inflammation terminates in cataract, so do 
many more that follow, under the cognizance of Mr. Coleman, 
and therefore he forms the opinion as above quoted. 
Again, horses are brought to Mr. C. to be examined as to their 
soundness: he detects a cataract—that is sufficient: what has he 
to do with the question, how it came there? What induce¬ 
ment would he have to inquire whether or not it had been pie- 
ceded by inflammation, when probably the very person in whose 
possession the horse then was, had been ignorant of the fact until 
then. Thus has Mr. C.’s opinion been supported from year to 
year by practical observation (for want ot greater scope), and be¬ 
come in his mind a matter no longer of doubt, but decided. 
