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

180 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
have taken its departure. This appearance is deceptive
it is only the lull before the storm ; it seldom happens
that it is gone, for in six weeks or two months we too
frequently find the eye again affected with all its former
redness, and often worse than on the first attack. Some-
times both eyes are affected ;
indeed, from time to time a
succession of these abatements and attacks will have
succeeded one another until a cloudy appearance and
permanent opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye has
taken place, and confirmed blindness in one or both eyes
has resulted. The cause of this complaint is to be
looked for in bad ventilation of stables. The constantly
heated air of the stable may be considered the remote
cause of this disease, to which all horses seem to be
predisposed. The poisoned air is a powerful agent in
propagating ophthalmia, yet how few pay any regard
to their ventilation, and what are generally con-
sidered the best stables are oftentimes the worst
ventilated. To this may be added the too frequent
use of stables which are totally dark, so that when
the animal is suddenly brought to the light, the
abrupt transition produces spasmodic effect on the
muscles and vessels of the eye, and causes that excessive
inflammation which accompanies this disease. When
this disease first makes its appearance, the inside of the
eyelids should be freely lanced, which often has the effect
of stopping the complaint. The horse should be put
upon low diet, and gentle purgative medicine given.
Bleeding at the temporal artery has often been beneficial
in diseases of the eye. When the cornea presents a
cloudy appearance, bleeding and cooling medicine are