ORGANIC UNION OF THE EYELIDS. ANKYIvOBLE- 

 PHARON. NARROWED FISSURE BETWEEN THE 

 EIDS. BLEPHAROPHYMOSIS. 



Complete closure of the palpebral fissure has been seen as a 

 congenital infirmity in sheep, dogs and cats, while the partial 

 closure has been found in all classes of animals as the result of 

 chronic conjunctivitis and contraction of the exudation in under- 

 going organization. Narrowing of the fissure gives the appear- 

 ance of a small eye, so that a progressive diminution is usually 

 supposed to come from a reduction in size of the bulb, though no 

 actual atrophy of that organ has taken place. In drooping of 

 the upper lid (ptosis) too, the fissure is reduced and the illusion 

 of an atrophy of the eyeball is induced. The closure of the 

 fissure may come from blepharospasm, as the result of irritants 

 in the eye, or even of nervous disorder. 



Tfeatment. In case of complete closure of the palpebral 

 fissure, the skin is picked up with forceps and an incision is made 

 between the two tarsi into the conjunctival sac. Then with 

 probe pointed scissors, or a grooved director and bistuory the in- 

 cision is carried between the tarsi to the proper position for the 

 internal and external canthi. During healing the lids should be 

 frequently bathed with a boric acid solution, and an ointment of 

 the same with vaseline should be applied to prevent adhesion. 



When the trouble consists in a drawing together of the skin at 

 the outer canthus, the result of inflammation, the adhesions are 

 separated by a horizontal incision leading outward from the line 

 of the angle. The edges of the conjunctiva and .skin are then 

 sutured together, so as to prevent further adhesion and the part 

 treated as an ordinary wound. This is known as canthoplasty . 



Ptosis coming from tumors on the lid, or excess of fat in its 

 substance, or from oculo-motor disease must be treated according 

 to indications. The same remark applies to spasm of the orbicu- 

 lar muscle {blepharospasm') , whether clonic or tonic. In domestic 

 animals the removal of the cau.se (foreign body, eyelash), will 

 usually succeed. 



22 337 



