364 
PERIODICAL OPHTHALMIA OF HORSES. 
four years old horses are continually introduced, and where they 
remain as long as they are fit for service. Here we have frequent 
opportunities of watching the progress of the disease from be- 
f inning to end; whereas a man in private practice can seldom 
ave such an advantage. He is often consulted in cases of this 
sort; he often has to treat a paroxysm of inflammation of the 
eyes; but he seldom sees any thing more of the animal after¬ 
wards. It is only, therefore, in large establishments, where the 
attendance is constant, that we are to look for opportunities of 
' frequently observing this complaint through its whole course. 
It may be worthy of remark, that the malady we are speaking 
of appears to be more prevalent in some countries than in others. 
According to my own experience, it is much more frequent to¬ 
wards the north than in the southern parts of Europe. In Spain 
and Portugal it is a complaint of but rare occurrence ; whereas 
in France and England it prevails to a considerable extent; but 
certainly most of all in Ireland. I feel no hesitation in saying, 
that there are far more blind and half blind horses in Ireland 
than there are to be found in any other country, proportionably 
to its size, in Europe; and I think this is to be accounted for on 
the score of hereditary predisposition. 
In England, as 1 have hinted before, more especially in York¬ 
shire, the farmers have been observant of the fact, that a dis¬ 
position to “ bad eyes is apt to run in the stock;” and they avoid, 
as much as possible, breeding from horses and mares of this 
description. In choosing a sire, they very properly consider it a 
great recommendation if he can be said to be perfectly sound, 
and free from all natural defects and blemishes. In Ireland, 
however, they seem to pay but little attention to this point. 
The circumstance of a horse being' blind, or g*oing blind, appears 
to be no detriment to him as a sire: he will have just as many 
mares put to him as if he had no defect at all; and nothing is 
more common than to see ahorse of this sort covering, whilst they 
frequently breed from a mare merely because she is blind, and, 
as they say, fit for nothing else.” 
The first time I was in Ireland, when quartered in the county 
of Tipperary, I recollect being particularly struck with the fre¬ 
quency of diseased eyes among the horses of that country; and 
looking about me for some cause, I soon perceived several blind, 
or half blind stallions covering : one in particular, called Chanti¬ 
cleer , I recollect seemed to be in very great repute* He was 
then only four years old ; but his eyes had already suffered re¬ 
peated attacks of inflammation, and were in progress towards 
blindness. Yet this circumstance did not seem in the least to 
stand in his way as a sire ; for he got quite as many, if not more, 
