722 
THE HISTHRY OF THE HORSE, 
sellable to conclude, that the sexual progenies of animals may he 
less liable to hereditary diseases, if the parents be of different fami¬ 
lies. This, I believe, is admitted by all who breed animals for sale; 
since if the male or female be of different temperaments—as there 
are extremes of the animal system—they may counteract each 
other : and certainly, where both parents are of families which are 
afflicted with the same hereditary defect, it is more likely to de¬ 
scend to their posterity. Thus we who are all concerned in the 
improvement of the sexual progeny of animals, see the necessity of 
attending—and especially, most especially, as regards the horse—to 
chpose the most perfect of both sexes: that is, the most beautiful 
in respect to form and proportion, and the most freely endowed with 
those qualities justly esteemed most desirable. So strongly do f feel 
on this point, and so convinced am I, from my frequent communi¬ 
cation with gentlemen who usually breed two or more foals yearly, 
that this has been much too lightly considered, if not entirely dis¬ 
regarded, that I cannot pass over this opportunity of recording the 
testimony of a few cases, as living proofs of the fallacy of breeding 
from imperfections: and as our profession now engages the attention 
of all connected with agricultural pursuits, and, in fact, most en¬ 
lightened minds, and read, as I believe this our veterinary journal 
is, by many who, though not professionals, feel a most lively inte¬ 
rest in the advancement of their sister science, I do humbly hope 
that the following facts may, in some measure, lead to a correction 
of this popular error. 
I related a case in The Veterinarian of August, 1838, of con¬ 
genital blindness in a foal, arising from atrophy of the optic nerve. 
It was supposed by the owner, when I was requested to attend it, 
(then only a few days old) to arise from some affection of the head, 
for to him the eyes seemed good, although even from its birth it ap¬ 
peared totally unconscious of its near approach to any object, and 
when excited into motion blundered against any source of obstruc¬ 
tion, running its head against the wall or the mare’s legs, in such 
a way as to convince me that it was totally blind. However, for 
the details I must refer you to that number of our periodical, my ob¬ 
ject being only to shew that, although the mare herself had certainly 
good eyes, the horse was very defective; and of all the stock he got 
in this part of the country, not one colt escaped the direful effects 
of his imperfect vision. 
There is another case of a mare belonging to Mr. Relf. She had 
been the subject of farcial enlargements and swellings, and, not 
being capable of performing much work, he tried to procure a foal 
from her, which in due time she produced. This foal soon after 
birth evinced symptoms of farcy, and died, when a few months old, 
glandered. 
