520 DISEASES OF THE CONJUNCTIVA 



Dirt, straws, briars, wheat seeds, splinters of wood, etc., have 

 been observed quite commonly. This is particularly true 

 in hunting dogs, and animals that are kept in dusty and 

 unsanitary kennels. In birds, parasites have been found in 

 a number of cases (spiroptera) . These substances are fre- 

 quently found underneath the membrana nictitans. 



Symptoms. All foreign bodies cause more or less intense 

 reactive symptoms, such as lacrimation, photophobia, serous 

 or mucopurulent discharge, swelling of the eyelids, opaque- 

 ness of the cornea, etc. The severity of the symptoms will 

 depend somewhat upon the character of the foreign body and 

 the degree of irritation. The patient usually shows con- 

 siderable pain, rubs the eyes against objects or with the paws, 

 and thus intensifies the symptoms. 



A sudden development of the symptoms cited should lead 

 one to suspect a- foreign body in the eye. 



Treatment. Flush out the conjunctival sac with warm 

 water or boric acid solution (2 per cent.). Raise the mem- 

 brana nictitans and evert the lids so that a close inspection 

 of the entire conjunctival sac can be made. In the majority 

 of cases the foreign body is visible. A reading glass will 

 facilitate finding small foreign bodies. 



After the foreign body is located it is advisable to remove 

 it either by flushing the surface with a boric acid solution 

 (2 per cent.) or by grasping it with a small forceps, or wiping 

 it out with a pledget of cotton. Considerable care should be 

 exercised to see that all of the foreign material is removed. 

 After removal flush the mucous membrane two or three times 

 daily with boric acid solution (2 per cent.). 



Wounds on the Conjunctiva. Very often the conjunctiva 

 is injured by sticks, pieces of straw, briers, etc. In the 

 majority of cases the injury is slight and of little significance. 

 In a few cases, where the lesion is extensive, there will be 

 symptoms similar to those caused by foreign bodies in the 

 conjunctival sac. A differentiation is made only by a careful 

 examination. 



Treatment. The lids should be everted and the part 

 thoroughly examined to determine the extent of the injury. 



