CATARACT. 195 
against that. The bargain was completed, and the horse was 
led to Wells by the purchaser’s servant. 
On his arrival there he lay down, and exhibited symptoms of 
great uneasiness. Presently afterwards he raised himself up 
suddenly, and coughed violently. I was sent for ; and nothing 
could be more apparent than that the animal was labouring 
under inflammation of the lungs. He was bled copiously: a quart 
of castor oil was administered ; injections were thrown up, &c. 
A few hours afterwards I saw him again : he was no better. 
The gentleman then said to me, “ I purchased this horse to-day 
under a warranty of soundness. He shall not stay in my sta¬ 
bles to-night, and you take him to your’s.” The horse was re¬ 
moved immediately. 
As the man was leading him into my stable, the horse ran 
against the door-post. I instantly remarked to my son, that I 
feared the horse was becoming blind. My first thought was, 
that there was a sudden counter-determination of blood from the 
lungs to the head. I had him turned round to the light, and 
examined his eyes, and in each was a slight cataract. I imme¬ 
diately returned to the purchaser, and told him what I had dis¬ 
covered ; upon which he requested me to go to Bristol in the 
morning, and inform the dealer of the state both of the lungs and 
the eyes, and, if possible, to make arrangements with him. I 
did so. The dealer replied, that it was impossible; for the 
horse had been examined on the previous morning by a veteri¬ 
nary surgeon, who had pronounced him sound.” Have you a 
certificate to that effect ?” I asked, No,” he replied ; but it 
is true, I assure you.” 
Now, had the horse been examined by a veterinary surgeon, he 
must have seen the cataracts. This, then,” thought 1,“ must 
be one of those cases of cataract without previous inflammation 
of the eye, of the existence of which I had before doubted. 
These gentlemen are, after all, in the right, and I am mistaken. 
To proper evidence my former opinion must be surrendered. 
I will, however, inquire about the matter, and sift it to the 
bottom.” 
The dispute was settled between the parties, and, time after 
time—thirty times at least—I called on the dealer, and requested 
him to favour me with the name of the veterinary surgeon who 
liad examined the horse, and passed him as sound on the 
morning of the sale. He had forgotten who it was; but this 
or the other stable-man could tell. They, however, knew 
nothing about the matter. At length, he gave me the name of 
the veterinary surgeon. I called on this gentleman, and found, 
as I was beginning to suspect, that he had not examined the 
horse until after he was returned to the dealer and had recovered 
