380 VETERINARY LECTURES 



636. Conjunctivitis, or Simple Ophthalmia.— Inflammation of 

 the external coat of the front of the eye or cornea, extending to the 

 lining of the eyelids. This is generally the result of an injury, such 

 as a blow from a stick or lash from a whip, but extreme hot or cold 

 weather will also produce it, more particularly in sheep and lambs 

 during the cold, frosty spring months. Bad ventilation and drainage 

 also favour its occurrence, but perhaps the most frequent cause is 

 the entrance of foreign bodies, such as sand, hay-seed, chaff, etc. 

 Symptoms. — The eyelids are more or less closed and swollen, tears 

 flow freely down the side of the face, and the patient cannot bear 

 exposure to the light. The lining of the lid is very red and congested, 

 and the front of the eye has a peculiar, pale blue, milky hue, especi- 

 ally at the seat of the injury. Constitutional disturbance with fever 

 may in some cases be present, which must receive attention, and be 

 combated with suitable medicines. 



637. Treatment of Simple Ophthalmia. — A careful and minute 

 examination must be made, and if the cause is due to some foreign 

 body, which is not buried in the exudation that usually follows, it may 

 be removed with a straw, a feather, or the corner of a handkerchief, 

 but a pair of forceps, with fine rounded points, is best. Should the 

 eye be very sensitive and pulled back into the socket, as is often seen 

 in the cow, so that the object cannot be reached, a little of a 5 to 8 

 per cent, solution of cocaine should be put into the eye, when in the 

 course of from fifteen to twenty minutes the offending body may be 

 removed. On no consideration should alum or powdered glass be 

 blown into the eye, as is too frequently done. These are highly 

 dangerous, and cause a great amount of pain to the animal. They 

 are, therefore, to be strongly condemned. Bathing the eye three or 

 four times a day with cold water, and then applying the boracic eye 

 lotion already named, is all that is necessary. Sheep and lambs, 

 when affected, should be removed to better shelter, and the eye 

 sponged once or twice a day with the boracic lotion. These cases, 

 if not properly attended to, may result in ulceration of the cornea, 

 and even fungoid growths may spring up ; then more heroic treat- 

 ment is required, and touching the places with nitrate of silver every 



