Should a flap of the cornea be left by a bite, probably pus will be secreted beneath it; the place must be watched till the local inflammation has subsided, and a spot of yellow, opaque matter can be detected under the transparent membrane. With a slight incision the pus must be released and the eye bathed with a lotion composed of water and chloride of zinc, one grain to the ounce.
Other cases will rather be known by the variety of marks left behind than by any difference in their necessary treatment. A lotion is generally everything required; however, should the inflammation become excessive, it may be necessary to open the eye-vein or the vessel which, journeying toward its larger trunk, runs directly beneath and from the eye. When this prominent and visible vein is pierced, it frequently, although distended, will not bleed. Then place some favorite food upon the ground,—the bending of the head and the movement of the jaw will cause the current to flow forth freely.
It is among the most beautiful attributes of the horse, that though so very timid, it never suspects nor can it understand actual injury. Thus, the flowing of its own blood does not affect it; it is otherwise with other animals not more intelligent. If a dog or cat be hurt, no delicacy can tempt the creature to feed. The horse, when in battle deprived of its limb, is so accustomed to restraint and so unsuspicious of harm, that it has been found, after the strife was ended, maimed, and yet cropping the herbage about it. The generous beast, when domesticated, retains its gentle disposition, and soon forgets to recognize danger; it becomes attached to its superior, and though its treatment be coarse and its usage brutal, it can pardon all.
HORSE'S EYE INJURED BY THE LASH.
The consequences of simple ophthalmia are little, white, opaque spots upon the membrane. Streaks of the same sort are occasionally left upon the organ by the abuse of the whip; the amount of blemish, of course, will be decided by the original injury. Never purchase an animal thus disfigured; better buy a blind horse. The opaque places prevent many rays of light from reaching the optic nerve; the sight is irreparably impaired the horse sees imperfectly; it may behold the head of a man, while the opaque scar conceals the body. Timidity takes alarm at the apparently spectral object. It has no reason to explain, and it wants intelligence to understand. The poor abused quadruped becomes a dangerous shyer.
SPECIFIC OPHTHALMIA.
Before we touch upon the subject which forms the heading to this article, we wish to establish one proposition, because it will smooth the way to an understanding between author and reader.
Man cannot make a property of life; he has no power over its continuance; it may cease to-morrow without his permission and against his wishes; it is removed from and independent of his control. Man can have nothing like a property in that which is altogether above his sway. He then, obviously, has no right to enslave any living creature, and take no care of the existence which he has deprived of liberty to provide for itself. When he captures a wild animal and retains it in captivity, he entails upon himself the duty of providing for its wants, and becomes answerable for its welfare. He violently usurps nature's province—obviously, he adopts nature's obligations; if he rebel against such a moral contract and persist in viewing dominion as absolute authority, as something which invests him with power to feed or starve at his pleasure, house or turn into the air according to his will, nature opposes such arrogance, and, releasing the life by death, takes the oppressed creature from the tyranny of the oppressor.