HAW, or Haugh, in farriery, is a spongy excrescence in the inner corner of the eyes of horses, or other cattle, and which, if not timely removed, will occasion total blindness. It arises from gross humours, and is known by the watering of the eye, and the opening of the lower side.
To cure this excrescence, farriers direct the affected animal to be held fast by the head, and the upper eye-lid to be drawn back by means of a needle and strong thread; which, in cows or oxen, may be tied to one of the horns. The haw is then to be carefully cut out with a knife, after which the eye should be dressed, then washed with a sponge dipped in beer, or ale, and salt, in order to clease it properly, and absorb the blood. This operation, however, ought to be performed only by skilful farriers, as many valuable horses have been rendered irrecoverably blind by the deep cutting of ignorant pretenders. In such case, the wound must be dressed with honey of roses; and, if any fungous or spongy flesh should arise, it ought to be sprinkled with burnt alum, or to be touched with blue vitriol, that it might be completely eradicated. Where sheep are affected with the haws, the practice is to drop the juice of chamomile, or crows-foot, into the eye.