-.M Tr.'rUment (f Dij'eafu i/thi Cjiiiea. 



living parts, by the firft iiitef.tion, and in fome cafes with inflammation exceeding the 

 Kmits of adheCon ; anj the whole internal cavity of the eye proceeds to a fl.ate.of fuppura- 

 tjon. Thcfc flagcs of inflammation ajre only flae^ with in parts poflcfled of life. 



•I'ronx thi; opinion of the cornea being void of lifc^ the opacities which are found to 

 take place^pn it have been fuppofed to arifc from inanimate matter laid over its furfacc. 

 And under that notion acrid and irritating applications, have been ufed to remove it, fuch 

 as powdered glafs, powdered fugar. Sec. Such applications being of fervicc, have con-. 

 'jt]:tned the opinion. , ■ — T.b ,.-;'t.,t:'- . '• • .ft 



, .Dr. Home con Gders the cornea as.*. ligamentous part, and, as fuch, Weak in its vital 

 pQwers. This arifes from fuch parts having no vefll-ls carrying red blood. When they in- 

 flate) which is a flate of increafcd ailion, they therefore require a different mode of treat- 

 ment from the other parts of the body, whofe vital powers arc flrong in confequcncc of 

 being largely fupplled witli red blood. , 



'"The truly healthy inflammation requires an increafed ,a£l;ion in the parts aflfeded ; .and 

 if tliii, either from weaknefs or indolence, is not kept up, the inflammation does not go 

 T.apid!y through its ftages, but remains in a ftate between refolution and fiippuration. In 

 ligamentous llruflures the anions muft therefore be roufed and fupported, when under in- 

 flampiatiou, to promote refolution, and to prevent the parts from falling into an indolent 

 difeafed (\ate. This is however attended with difliculty, and they too often become confi- 

 ^erably thickened by a decompofition of coagulating lymph during the adheCvc ftate of in- 

 flammation, which intli; cornea renders it opake. The thickening of tlie parts remains 

 after the inflammation is gone, and can only be removed by abforption, which is beft 

 effefled by the application of very ftimulating medicines. 



He extends thcfe principles to all ligamentous ftruftures. Thefe require a peculiar* 

 treatment, which may be illuftrated both in inflammations of the joints, and of the cornea 

 of tlic eye ; ,the applications made ufe of with the ^rejteft advantage in both cafes being 

 of a very ftimulating kind. . ., , . 



""The indance of the cure of an opacity of the cornea in the eyes of Tobit by the gall of 

 a ndi, as related in the apocryphal book which bears his name ; with other circumftances 

 of like praftice among the Arabians; and alfo certain facts and obfervations which occurred 

 in his own practice, are related as proofs of the advantage of ftimulating applica- 

 tions to tTie cornea. In feme old cafes of opacity, he found gall the beft application. He 

 ufed it pure, and alfo diluted. The gall of quadrupeds, in thefe trials, gave more pain than 

 the gall of fifh. The painful fcnfation was very fevere for an hour or two, and then went 

 bff, and the beneficial effefls appe.ired to be in proportion to the local violence at the time 

 cf its application. The objcfl of his obfervations having been to explain the principle 

 Tipon which thofe eflTefls depend, this knowledge may, as he obferves, regulate the praftice 

 fuitable to be adopted in fuch cafes. It will fhew the impropriety of ufing fuch medicines 

 while the inflammatory aflion is increafmg, and will point out their adoption the moment 

 the inflamir.ation appears to be at a ftand, inftead of poftponing thefe remedies till an in- 

 dolent unhealthy flate takes place, which too often terminates in opacities not to be after- 

 wards removed by any application. 



Vm. £.ypf- 



