348 Notices respect'uig Kew Books. 



fur it; but this fumigation could not be kept up in rooms 

 where the patients were all contincd to their beds." 



The next malady whieh engages the author's attention is 

 the ophthalmia, which in Egypt at particular seasons is a 

 most generally-prevailing disea^^e. It is not, however, con- 

 lined to the human race ; the animals of the country, parti- 

 cularly the dogs and camels, are subject to its attacks. In 

 Egypt it proved most distressing and obstinate. The French, 

 it was said, sent from Eg\pt to France 1000 blind men. 

 The i.um!)er sent home fronj the English army was very 

 considerable likewise. Of the Indian army 30 were sent 

 ho.ne invalids from blindness; most of whom were from the 

 lOLh and SSlh regiments. 



"The disease, I think," says the author, "^ might gene- 

 rally be resolved into, 1st, either of Cullen's two species, 

 the ophthalmia tarsi and the ophthalmia mcmbranarum ; 

 S-dIv, to a combination of these two; or, Sdly, to a species 

 of ophthalmia, frequent in India, symptomatic of disease in 

 the biliarv secretion. 



" The appearance which the disease put on, particularly 

 the two first species of it, was nearly what we have seen 

 in other parts of' the world ; except that the symptoms ad- 

 vanced with alarming rapidity to the highest inflanmiatory 

 stages. In most cases the attack was sudden, and very ge- 

 nerally at night. Speedily, the patient complained of a 

 burning heat of the eye-ball, or of a sensatioi^ of needles 

 being parsed through the eye. There was a considerable 

 swelling of the ball of the eye, of the eye-lids, and some- 

 times of the neighbouring parts. Almost alwavs, there was 

 a copious flow of tears, which felt hot and scalding, and, as 

 they flowed, excoriated ihe face down. Very frequently, 

 there was a racking head-ach and general fever. GZldema 

 ol'the eye-lids Wcis frequently met with m the early stage of 

 the disease, and inversion of the cilia in the last stages. 



" The disease verv often continued two or three months : 

 after it had continued some time, the general health became 

 much impaired. it often terminated in diarrhoea or dysen- 

 tery, and sometimes the patient became hectic. 



" In the third species of the disease, which I have men- 

 tioned, there was not so much active inflammation as in the 

 other tu'C species ; .and it was generally known by a vellow 

 tinge of the adnata, or by dyspeptic symptoms being pre- 

 sent ; though, sometimes, we have seen those Appearances 

 absent : and no topical application- had any etlect in re- 

 moving the ophthalmia, till tlicgums were a'Jecled by ealo- ■ 

 inel.or some mercuiial preparation. 



" lu 



