INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE 579 



lips of the wound together in such ca manner as to avoid a " puckered " 

 appearance afterwards. No atom of torn lid should be excised, and the 

 most lacerated wounds should not be despaii^ed of, as they have a wonderful 

 knack of " piecing up " at last, and only a little notch is usually left. A wet 

 pad of folded lint may be kept on by a very careful nurse, but if allowed 

 to get dry it will do more harm than good. The chief thing is to keep the 

 parts together, not even removing the clotted blood, which serves as a 

 bandage until some amount of granulation has taken place underneath. 

 The amateur's love of plaster is misplaced — it never answers upon a hairy 

 skin, and sutures are the only reliable means of mechanical adjustment. A 

 dark box is to be recommended in all cases of inflamed eyes or injuries to 

 their appendages. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE 



Inflammation of the covering membrane, conjunctivitis, is not infrequent 

 and is very painful, sometimes leading to opacity and interference with 

 vision. 



The causes are accidental, as from blows, the lash of the whip, hay seeds, 

 flies, or other foreign bodies getting within the lids, or from constitutional 

 causes as catai-rh and influenza. 



The Symptoms are drooping lid, extreme sensibility when approached 

 from the affected side, tears overrunning the cheek and intolerance of light. 



Treatment. — The eye should be examined with the aid of cocaine solution, 

 and any foreign body deftly removed, frequently fomented with warm water 

 and a cooling dose of medicine given. A large cool and somewhat dark 

 box free from flies and dust should be provided, and the patient will probably 

 recover in a few days. If the whip has caused the trouble it may be found 

 in a day or so that there is a central spot of inflammation with a cloud 

 shading off" from it, and to prevent a permanent blemish it may be necessary 

 to excite the absorbents by inti'oducing a weak solution of sulj^hate of zinc 

 or nitrate of silver. With the best of treatment a little nebula will often 

 be left, and although it may not be any detriment to the animal's vision it 

 depreciates his value and should not be disregarded in purchasing. 



Injuries affecting the cornea and of a more severe nature than we have 

 supposed in the above paragraph, may result in an ulcer and possible escape 

 of the aqueous humour. Tlaese are capable of a good deal of amendment by 

 good treatment. The ulcers may be induced to heal by judicious touching 

 up with silver nitrate, and the aqueous humour will again fill up the 

 chamber. Some disfiguration will remain, but if the patient is not a hunter 

 and can see the ground under the scar he may remain as useful as before. 



PERIODIC OR CONSTITUTIONAL OPHTHALMIA 



This grave condition of the eye is fortunately becoming less common 

 than formerly. It appears to be hereditary and is prone to recur, ending at 

 last in blindness if the horse attains to old age. It not only affects the 

 conjunctiva and cornea but the middle eye, the iris becomes entangled in 



