Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-09-10
SINGLE cory FIVE CENTS
NUMBER 4
BLINDNESS AMosla rtoRses.


Its Causes aud Something About Preven-
tion and Proper Treatments
It has been stated that blindness il
more prevalent among horses in A1nanca
than among those " other countries. H
this is the case the causes Of the evil
should be investigated and removed if
possible without delay II is the fact
that blindness is more prevalent among
horses in Ohio than those of any other
section Of the country The eases Of
blindness are attributed in u great meas
nre to oyerfeeding, the Ohio horses BE-
ing notoriously fat Ii il a common
practice To force the fat upon horses in
tended for sale by stuhing them princi-
pally with Indian corn, and keeping them
without service i'll warm, close stables.
This method Of feeding soon fattens
horse, but at the same time ifs digestive
functions are injured by the treatment.
1t is now believed that blindness can be
traced to a sympathetic relation between
disorder Of the digestive organs and the
y.17ein, and that -tnrou1h The latter the
optic nerve f,seauaes diseased and ends
ia destroying the viSt7as Blindness ~
also frequently transmitted VI offspf ng.
and thus an evil, first originating in dis
ease, almost becomes n natural defect Nv
hereditary descent. Errors IN feeding
horses, as il well known, also produce
blind staggers and organic disease of tie
brain, therefore the greatest care sheuld
be exercised in feeding them
In order to prevent the spread Of horse
blindness " Is recommended that wheR-
ever the animal shows the least symp-
toms Of the disease it should be kept on
q light diet Of hay and oats "A horse
may be maintained in good condition on
twelve pounds Of hay and FIVE pounds Of
oats for daily feed III breeding horses
it is also recommended that all animals
showing the least symptoms Of organic
disease be rejected.
One Of the first symptoms incident to
blindness, which any person may readily
notice, IS the disposition Of the animal
to raise his forelegs unnecessarily high,
while, al the same time, the ears are
drawn back and forth in quick success
sion, and thus giving sure evidence that
the sagacious animal is sounding the
ground over which lie travels. These
are the principal ideas advanced BY most
veterinarians respecting the causeof prev
alent horse blindness i'll our country and
a mode Of arresting the spread Of the
evil. There are some other causes of
this disease which appear more evident,
any Of which are perfectly capable Of
removal. Blind horses are more com
mon in cities than ia the rural districts.
This is principally caused by bad sta
bles. Many Of them Are underground
cellars, and with few exceptions all
stables are too small. They do not ad-
nit sufficient quantity Of fresh air for
ventilation and respiration, and this a.
ways tends to iniure the health III the
animals. Light is az essential to the
health Of horses ~ that Of men, and vet
most stables are nearly as dark AZ dun
geons. II would be far better for most
Of the horses Id our cities to be kept in
open sheds than in the stables commonly
provided for them.
am also positive that cyeblinds on
the harness tend to iniEra the eyes OK
horses, and IL they are totally useless
and uusightly appendages they should
be abandoned entirely. The open bride
has become more common, but it should
be universal Tight, eloss collars, which
squeeze the eyes of horses in putting
them on, are also very injurious to the
eyes Of the animals. have known ons
case Of permanent injury to the ewes %
an excellent horse from this cause. Car
riage and draft horses should be pro
vided with divided collars. secured either
at the top ar bottom. 30 that they ars net
required to be forced over the heads III
the animals.-New York World