764 DISEASES AND ABNORMALITIES. 



and in the other, the eyelids are, in addition, adherent to the eye itself 

 throughout their entire surface. 



The first variety is alone curable, and in order to disunite the eyelids, 

 the operator proceeds as follows : Securing the head of the creature in 

 the hands of an assistant, the upper eyelid is elevated by another assist- 

 ant by means of a pair of forceps. The operator himself seizes the lower 

 lid by the same means, and pulls it as far as possible from the eyeball 

 beneath ; then taking a pointed bistoury or sharp scissors in his right 

 hand, a small puncture or notch is made between the margins of the 

 lids, in such a manner as to injure neither, if possible, and much less to 

 wound the eye. A grooved director is passed into the puncture in the 

 direction of one of the canthi of the eye, and the bistoury or scissors run 

 along it, separates the two lids; the director is then turned towards the 

 other canthus, and the same procedure is followed. If the scissors are 

 used, the director is not necessary. All that is required after the opera- 

 tion, is to apply a little lard to the borders of the lids, should there be 

 any tendency to re-adhesion. 



Occlusion of the auditory canal is much less rare than that of the eye- 

 lids, and when it exists deafness is the consequence, as well as dumb- 

 ness. It is the latter condition which most frequently attracts attention, 

 and leads to the discovery that the real and serious defect is deafness. 

 Then a small prominent tumor is detected in the place of the ear, or 

 where the external auditory canal should be. This tumor is rather soft, 

 and can be readily seized by forceps, when it may be punctured with a 

 bistoury or a lancet, and a crucial incision made through it, or it may 

 be resected by forceps and scalpel or scissors. 



When the membrane forming the covering of the tumor is removed, a 

 quantity of grey cerumen is found obstructing the canal ; this can be 

 removed by pressure, injections of tepid water, or a small scoop. To 

 hinder the closure of the canal, a little morsel of lint or fine tow is placed 

 in the ear, and retained there by a bandage round the head. With the 

 dog, which is most frequently affected in this way, the bandage requires to 

 be more carefully fixed than with other animals, as it uses its paws, and 

 does not rest until it is removed. 



If both ears are affected, one only should be operated upon at a time ; 

 and, as a rule, it is better to wait until the slight inflammation which fol- 

 lows the operation subsides, before the other ear undergoes the same 

 treatment. 



So far as hearing is concerned, the result is often negative ; indeed, 

 Rainard confesses that of the large number of dogs he operated upon, not 

 one recovered its hearing. 



CHAPTER XV. 



Cyanosis. 



At page 99, in describing the foetal circulation and the modifications 

 which occur in it at birth, we mentioned that the lungs then become the 

 organs of respiration, and rapidly increase in capacity, while the thorax 

 enlarges in a commensurate degree ; the pulmonary artery also dilates to 

 admit the increased flow of blood, and the ductus arteriosus is oblit- 



