. 1. 4. 4. OF SENSATION, 22 1 



After this inflammation a hard scar-like ridge is left on the edge 

 of the eyelid, which scratches and inflames the eyeball, and be- 

 comes a very troublesome disease. 



The Turkish ladies are said to colour the edge of the eyelash 

 with crude antimony in very fine powder, which not only gives 

 lastre to the eye, as a diamond set on a black soil, but may pre- 

 vent extraneous light from being reflected from these edges into 

 the eye, and thus serve the purpose of the black feathers about 

 the eyes of swans, described in Sect. XXXIX. 5. 1. and may 

 also prevent the edges of the eyelids from being inflamed by the 

 frequent stimulus of tears on them. Black lead in fine powder 

 might be better for all these purposes than antimony, and might 

 be put on with a camel's hair brush. 



M. M. Mercurial ointment smeared at night on the edges 

 of the eyelids. Burnt alum sixty grains, hog's grease half an 

 ounce, well rubbed into an ointment to be smeared on them in 

 the night. Cold water frequently in the day. See Class II. 

 1. 1.8. 



4. Hordeolum. Stye. This inflammation begins either on 

 or near the edges of the eyelids, or in the loose skin of them, and 

 is sometimes very slow either in coming to suppuration or in dis- 

 persing. The skin beneath the lower eyelid is the most fre- 

 quent seat of this tumour, which sometimes never suppurates at 

 all, but becomes an encysted tumour: for as this skin is very loose 

 for the purpose of admitting great motion to the eyelid, the ab- 

 sorbent power of the veins seems particularly weak in this part; 

 whence when any person is weakened by fatigue or otherwise, a 

 darker shade of colour is seen beneath the eyes; which is owing 

 to a less energetic action of the absorbent terminations of the 

 veins, whence the currents of dark or venous blood are delayed 

 in them. This dark shade beneath the eyes, when it is perma- 

 nent, is a symptom of habitual debility, or inirritability of the cir- 

 culating system. See Class I. 2. 2. 2. 



M. M. Smear the tumours with mercurial ointment, moisten 

 them frequently with ether. To promote their suppuration they 

 may be wounded with a lancet, or slit down the middle, or they 

 may be cut out. A caustic leaves a large scar. 



5. Paronychia supcrficialis. Whitlow. An inflammation 

 about the roots of the nail beneath the skin, which suppurates 

 without fever, and sometimes destroys the nail; which is, how- 

 ever, gradually reproduced. This kind of abscess, though not 

 itself dangerous, has given opportunity for the inoculation of 

 venereal matter in the hands of accoucheurs, and of putrid mat- 

 ter from the dissection of diseased bodies; and has thus been the 

 cause of disease and death. When putrid matter has been 



