528 
OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
would be In favour of its presence^ and a recommendation of 
treatment such as was deemed advisable under the circum¬ 
stances. How different it is when called upon to examine 
as to soundness; although it is seen and known, scarcely 
any one would venture to write the word unso^ind against the 
horse, yet no one would assert that it would be wrong to do 
so. Custom, however, and the imperfect state of the law 
are the two causes in operation at the present time. When 
we take into consideration the speedy manner that diseases of 
the eyes of our equine patients run their course, it becomes 
necessary to pay a little more attention to them than is gene¬ 
rally done. I have more than once been surprised at the 
issue of a case, not having been prepared for it. I confess I 
have examined many horses whose visual organs appeared to 
me to be in a very suspicious condition, still I dared not state 
that I considered the animal would soon be subject to an attack 
of acute inflammation, which in all probability would end in 
the loss of sight. It has been held by some practitioners 
that we have merely to state our opinion with reference to 
the present, and have nothing to do with, either the past or 
the future. This holds good when writing our certificates in 
one particular form—for instance, if we certify that a horse 
is sound, or that he is unsound. This manner of expressing 
an opinion is very good and legitimate, but if we take the 
better course, which I have for some years past endeavoured 
to establish, then I think we should carry our investigation 
somewhat further, and offer an opinion as to the probable 
result of any defect we may meet with. This has always 
seemed to me to be the object of an examination as to sound¬ 
ness. If a horse has an enlargement upon a limb, it can be 
seen by the purchaser as well as by the veterinary surgeon; 
but the first named may require the professional experience 
of the latter as to the nature of the enlargement, which will 
influence him as to whether the animal be retained or 
not. So it is in defective vision. An eye may be very 
small or prominent ; either of which may be defects, 
and cause the animal to shy; or the horse may be sub¬ 
ject to periodic attacks of ophthalmia, which will termi¬ 
nate sooner or later in the loss of vision. This state of 
things should be mentioned. My experience teaches me 
that only a few cases are of a simple or harmless character. 
For the most part they are constitutional, and it is not likely 
cases of traumatic ophthalmia will be submitted to an exa¬ 
mination. There are cases, however, occasionally produced 
to us which have already run their course, and one, if not 
both eyes, are found to be in a state of darkness. I fear 
