310 WORM IN TOE EYE OF THE HORSE^ 
INFLUENCED by the same motives which actuated 
W. Twining, Esq. to present to the Medical Society some ob- 
seiwations on the filaria or thread-worm found in the eyes of horses 
in India, I beg leave to trouble the Society with a few remarks 
on that subject, as well as on the disease tenned kumree, or 
weakness of the loins. • 
I have frequently seen in the abdomen of horses, and mesen¬ 
teric veins of asses, worms similar to the filaria: those of the abdo¬ 
men of horses I have found within the intestinal canal, as well as 
on the surface of the peritoneeum; and it does not appear that 
any part of the peritonaeum is exempt from them. I have made 
numerous examinations of the lumbar vertebrae and muscles of 
horses affected with kumree, but never detected worms of any de¬ 
scription in the cellular tissue. 
The first appearance of the woim, with the usual symptoms 
of inflammation, is precisely as stated by Mr. Twining. As a 
cure cannot be expected without an operation, I shall pass on to 
the mode of performing it. 
The operation, I think, ought to be always undertaken with 
reference to the description of horse affected. As draught horses 
.do not require vision backwards, I would recommend a puncture 
to be made in the superior and posterior part of the transparent 
cornea, a little more than a line’s breadth from the sclerotic coat. 
By selecting this part, the speck that remains will be less likely 
to impede vision than if the operation was perfoimed on any other 
part. On the other hand, in saddle horses I would choose the 
superior part of the cornea, about the same distance from the 
sclerotic coat, and in a line with the centre of the pupil. These 
parts will appear to the members of the Society to be the most 
proper, when they consider that a horse’s eye is so fanned as to 
enable him to see forwards and backwards, on a line with him¬ 
self, and a little upwards and downwards; and that in draught 
horses seeing backwards is entirely prevented by the application 
of the winkers, and in saddle horses seeing upwards is the least 
required. 
As to the instrument: I generally use a trocar of the smallest 
size, with a little tow rolled tightly round the perforator, leaving 
naked at the point about the 12th or 14th part of an inch. From 
experience I find, that by operating with this instrument, the 
remaining speck will be smaller than if the lancet is used. I have 
frequently performed the operation on sound eyes, with the view 
of ascertaining this point, and the result has invariably been as I 
have stated. 
Mr. Gibb is in the habit of performing the operation while 
the horse is standing. This I was aware of previous to my 
