NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 421 
food, or by some periodicity of the system. From five to seven attacks 
usually result in blindness, and then the second eye is liable to be attacked 
until it is also ruined. 
In the intervals between the attack some remaining symptoms betray 
the condition, and these become more marked after each successive ac- 
cess of disease. Even after the first attack there is a bluish ring round 
the margin of the transparent cornea. The eye seems smaller than the 
other, at first because it is retracted in its socket, and often after several 
attacks because of actual shrinkage (atrophy). The upper eyelid, in 
place of presenting a uniform, continuous arch, has about one-third from 
its inner angle an abrupt bend, caused by the contraction of the levator 
muscle. The front of the iris has exchanged some of its dark, clear 
brilliancy for a lusterless yellow, and the depth of the eye presents more 
or less of the greenish yellow shade. The pupil remains a little contracted, 
except in advanced and aggravated cases, when, with opaque lens, it is 
widely dilated. If one eye only has suffered, as is common, the contrast 
in these respects with the sound eye is all the more characteristic. An- 
other feature is the erect, attentive carriage of the ear, to compensate to 
some extent for the waning vision. 
The attacks vary greatly in severity in different cases, but the recur- 
rence is characteristic, and all alike lead to cataract and intraocular ef- 
fusion, with pressure on the retina and abolition of sight. 
Prevention.— The prevention of this disease is the great object to be 
aimed at, and this demands the most careful breeding, feeding, housing, 
and general management, as indicated under "Causes." Much can also 
be done by migration to a high, dry location, but for this and malarious 
affections the improvement of the land by drainage and good cultivation 
should be the final aim. 
Treatment is not satisfactory, but is largely the same as for common 
internal ophthalmia. Some cases, like rheumatism, are benefited by 
scruple doses of powdered colchicum and 2 dram doses of salicylate of 
soda twice a day. In other cases, with marked hardness of the globe of 
the eye from intraocular effusion, aseptic puncture of the eye, or even 
the excision of a portion of the iris, has helped. During recovery a course 
of tonics (2 drams oxide of iron, 10 grains nux vomica, and 1 ounce sul- 
phate of soda daily) is desirable to invigorate the system and help to 
ward off another attack. The vulgar resort to knocking out the wolf teeth 
and cutting out the haw can only be condemned. The temporary re- 
covery would take place in one or two weeks, though no such thing had 
been done, and the breaking of a small tooth, leaving its fang in the jaw, 
only increases the irritation. 
CATARACT. 
The common result of internal ophthalmia, as of the recurrent type, 
may be recognized as described under the first of these diseases. Its of- 
fensive appearance may be obviated by extraction or depression of the lens, 
but as the rays of light would no longer be properly refracted, perfect 
