662 DISEASES OF THE EYES. 



CONJUNCTIVITIS AND KERATITIS. 



Inflammation of the conjunctiva and inflammation of the cornea 

 almost always occur together, and reciprocally induce one another 

 when of a certain degree of intensity. They may be simple, that is 

 to say, produced by simple causes, or they may be specific, and 

 of a contagious character. 



Simple inflammation is caused by the action of cold, draughts, 

 dust, or mechanical injuries. Specific inflammations, the nature of 

 which is still little understood, occur in the ox and goat. They are 

 very contagious, and may successively attack all the animals of a 

 herd. 



The symptoms of acute and specific inflammation differ very little. 

 They comprise congestion, lachrymation, chemosis, a certain amount 

 of suppuration, and sometimes superficial ulceration of the cornea. 

 The patients suffer very acute pain, avoid the light, present all the 

 symptoms of photophobia, and are affected with spasm of the 

 orbicularis muscle. 



In simple cases these symptoms frequently disappear, provided 

 the byres are kept clean and astringent eye-washes are applied. 



In contagious keratitis, however, the cornea may suppurate and 

 even become perforated after a few weeks. 



Treatment. The chief object of treatment under any circumstances 

 must be to insure the* most perfect cleanliness both of the globe of the 

 eye and the conjunctival sacs. 



The eye must, therefore, be irrigated with lukewarm water, the 

 stream being injected beneath the lids. Each irrigation is followed 

 by the use of an anodyne and astringent eye-wash containing borate 

 of soda or sulphate of zinc, combined if necessary with cocaine. 



Distilled water . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 parts. 



Borate of soda . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ,, 



Hydrochlorate of cocaine . . , . . . . . . . 1 ,, 



But saturated solution of boric acid is simple, and no less effective. 



In contagious keratitis the eye lotion may contain 2 to 3 per 

 cent, of nitrate of silver, the excess of silver being neutralised by 

 washing out with a weak solution of common salt. After three or 

 four applications this should be changed for a saturated solution of 

 boric acid. 



VERMINOUS CONJUNCTIVITIS. 



This form of conjunctivitis, described by Eodes in 1819, is due to 

 the presence of the Filaria lachrymalis , which varies in length between 

 f of an inch and 1 inch. 



