26 DECEMBER 1952, Page 13

Rabbits and Eyes

A friend has given me an account of an unpleasant experience suffered by his wife on two occasions when she prepared a rabbit for the pot. Each time.the carcass had been skinned before she touched it, but within a few minutes of its being cut up one of the lady's eyes became seriously affected. The white of the eye began to swell until it obscured the pupil. The lower eyelid puffed, and the whole eye became most painful. This condition lasted for a week on the first occasion and several days on the second. The lady's son had a similar experience, but my friend was unaffected although he skinned one of the rabbits. Can any reader explain this strange condition ? The effect on the eye seems to be evidence of an allergy of some kind, and perhaps a secretion of the rabbit contaminated the eye of the lady who cut it up. I have noticed that the blood of rabbits sometimes has a powerful odour, but I have never met anyone who had the same unfortunate experience as the lady in question. I am assured that she has never suffered in this way at any other time in her life. Needless to say, the family no longer have rabbit on the menu.