ENTROPIUM. 551 



the eye closed to a greater or lesser extent. The conjunctivse 

 become vascular, opaque, thickened, and ultimately dry and 

 cuticular. There is redness of the lids, with increased secre- 

 tion of tears, and other signs of conjunctivitis. 



Very often entropium is congenital, but it may occur at any 

 time of the animal's existence, from relaxation of the integu- 

 ments of the eyelid and spasmodic contraction of the orhicularis 

 'palpebrarum muscle. Wharton Jones says, " In consequence of 

 the firmness and breadth of its tarsal cartilage, and the existence 

 of the levator palpebrse muscle, simple relaxation of the integu- 

 ments of the upper eyelid seldom produces any great degree of 

 entropium ; it merely hinders the eyelid from being freely raised, 

 constituting one form of ptosis (falHng down of the upper eye- 

 lid). It is the lower eyelid which is most generally the seat of 

 entropium from relaxation." 



In this form of entropium the eyelid is simply rolled back 

 upon itself, sometimes so much that the margin, with the 

 cilia, lies in the inferior palpebral sinus of the conjunctiva. 

 If the finger be applied to the outside of the eyelid, and the 

 skin pressed down a little, the margin of the lid starts into its 

 place, and will continue so of itself, so long as the eye is 

 quiescent, but when the animal winks, it will fall back with a 

 jerk into its former state of inversion. 



Treatment consists in the excision of a portion of the relaxed 

 integuments. The excised portion should be of an elliptical 

 shape, and of such a breadth, that when the edges of the wound 

 are brought together, the eyelid will be retained in its proper 

 position. Though the piece of integument ought to be re- 

 moved from as near as possible to the margin of the eyelid, a 

 sufficient breadth of skin must be left at the margin for the 

 insertion of stitches. 



After the excision of the fold, the edges of the wound are 

 to be brought together by metallic sutures, and left without 

 further interference to heal by the first intention. 



I liave operated, and always with success, upon a great 

 number of dogs and a few horses. 



TRICHIASIS AND DISTICHIASIS. 



Trichiasis is a growing-in of the eyelashes against the eye- 



