The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

184 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
same to the horse as hands are to man. Without their
aid it could not collect its food in the field, nor even
convey the corn down its throat. To prove this the
writer will give an account of an experiment which was
tried with an ass, to ascertain the extent of the use of
these important organs. The nerves which give feeling
and sensation to the lips were divided, and instantly it
was perceived that it was not aware when it touched its
food with them. They were entirely divested of motion,
and it was in consequence unable to convey the oats with
which its manger was filled to his teeth, and by hunger it
made a violent effort to lick up a few with its tongue,
but they were nearly all rubbed off before they could be
conveyed to its mouth.
THE EYE
of the horse is certainly the most important organ
possessed by that animal, yet how little we know of it
with its multitude of nerves and muscles. We fre-
quently meet with cases of disease of the eye which are
a great trouble to cure. The most common is inflam-
mation, which generally makes its appearance un-
expectedly, accompanied by considerable swelling of the
eyelids, partially closing them, and causes a discharge of
watery matter or tears. The lids exhibit inflammation,
and some of the vessels of the eyeball are gorged with
blood ; there will also be a dimness in the cornea. This
usually accompanies a catarrh, but is also caused by
substances getting into the eye, such as a hay seed, or it
may be the result of a blow. When inflammation occurs,
the eye should be carefully examined to ascertain if any