THE EYE & SOME COMMON AFFECTIONS 219 



The treatment recommended may be supplemented by 

 the apphcation, night and morning, of boracic acid 

 ointment, and a small portion of this may, with advantage, 

 be placed between the eyelids. A variable degree of 

 swelling is necessarily an accompaniment wherever the 

 skin is torn, consequently if stitches are inserted these 

 must be so adjusted as to allow for such swelling to 

 occur vv^ithout producing too much tension upon the 

 sutures, pins, or whatever materials have been employed 

 for bringing the injured edges together. The injured part 

 must be kept clean, and if there is much swelling fomenta- 

 tion with warm water, night and morning, will be of 

 service. 



Ophthalmia 



Ophthalmia, or inflammation of the mucous membrane 

 lining the eyelids, is of common occurrence, and it arises 

 through various causes, such as injuries to the eyelids, 

 various chemical and mechanical irritants — for instance, 

 lime or chemical manures of various kinds inadvertently 

 gaining access to the eyehds. A frequent cause is through 

 the admission of a particle of chaff, whilst in other 

 instances ophthalmia is associated with catarrh and 

 strangles, but it also exists as recurrent or specific 

 ophthalmia. It is one of those eye affections which, if 

 neglected, implicates structures in contiguity to it. 

 Thus, for instance, opacity of the cornea frequently 

 follows through prolonged irritation. 



The symptoms indicative of acute ophthalmia are : 

 extreme redness of the mucous membrane ; intolerance 

 to light ; excessive iachrymation. These symptoms vary 

 in their severity or otherwise, Hkewise in their duration 

 and termination. Sometimes there is a purulent dis- 

 charge from the eye, due to infection by pus organisms, 

 which aggravates the trouble. The treatment must be 

 based upon a knowledge of the causes whenever this can 

 be ascertained. In every instance it is of primary im- 



