356 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



WHITE SPECKS AND CLOUDINESS OF THE CORNEA. 



As a result of external ophthalmia, opaque specks, clouds, or 

 haziness are too often left on the cornea and require for their re- 

 moval that they be daily touched with a soft feather dipped in a 

 solution of 3 grains nitrate of silver in 1 ounce distilled water. This 

 should be applied until all inflammation has subsided, and until its 

 contact is comparatively painless. It is rarely successful with an old 

 thick scar following an ulcer, nor with an opacity having red blood 

 vessels running across it. 



ULCERS OP THE CORNEA. 



These may be treated with nitrate of silver lotion of twice the 

 strength used for opacities. Powdered gentian, one-half ounce, and 

 sulphate of iron, one-fourth ounce daily, may improve the general 

 health. 



INTERNAL OPHTHALMIA ( IRITIS, CHOROIDITIS, AND RETINITIS) . 



Although inflammations of the iris, choroid, and retina the 

 inner, vascular, and nervous coats of the eye occur to a certain ex- 

 tent independently of each other, yet one usually supervenes upon 

 the other, and, as the symptoms are thus made to coincide, it will be 

 best for our present purposes to treat the three as one disease. 



Causes. The causes of internal ophthalmia are largely those 

 of the external form only, acting w r ith greater intensity or on a more 

 susceptible eye. Severe blows, bruises, punctures, etc., of the eye, 

 the penetration of foreign bodies into the eye (thorns, splinters of 

 iron, etc.), sudden transition from a dark stall to bright sunshine, to 

 the glare of snow or water, constant glare from a sunny window, abuse 

 of the overdraw checkrein, vivid lightning flashes, drafts of cold, 

 damp air; above all, when the animal is perspiring, exposure in cold 

 rain and snow storms, swimming cold rivers; also certain general 

 diseases like rheumatism, anthritis, influenza, and disorders of the 

 digestive organs, may become complicated by this affection. From 

 the close relation between the brain and eye alike in the blood ves- 

 sels and nerves disorders of the first lead to affections of the sec- 

 ond, and the same remark applies to the persistent irritation to which 

 the jaws are subjected in the course of dentition. So potent is the 

 last agency that we dread a recurrence of ophthalmia so long as den- 

 tition is incomplete, and hope for immunity if the animal completes 

 its dentition without any permanent structural change in the eye. 



Symptoms. The symptoms will vary according to the cause. 

 If the attack is due to direct physical injury, the inflammation of the 

 eyelids and superficial structures may be quite as marked as that of 

 the interior of the eye. If, on the other hand, from general causes, 

 or as a complication of some distant disease, the affection may be 

 largely confined to the deeper structures and the swelling, redness 

 and tenderness of the superficial structures will be less marked. 



Treatment. The treatment of internal ophthalmia should em- 

 brace, first, the removal of all existing causes or sources of_ aggra- 

 vation of the disease, which need not be here repeated. Special care 

 to protect the patient against cold, wet, strong light, and active exer- 

 tion must, however, be insisted on. A dark stall and a cloth hung 



