SPECIFIC OPTHALMIA. 441 



Common Inflammation of the Eye ; and at other times Simple 

 Opthalinia, in contradistinction to another form of inflammatory 

 disease of the eye called Specific Opthalmia. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of Common Opthalmia are 

 swelling and closing of the eyelids, associated with an abundant 

 secretion of tears which flow down the cheeks, and produce a 

 scalding effect upon the skin of the cheeks and of the parts 

 contiguous. If the eyelids are opened, the mucous membrane 

 will be seen to be congested with innumerable blood vessels, 

 associated with dimness of the cornea. Sometimes the patient 

 is affected with cough, and sometimes not ; and occasionally the 

 above symptoms constitute the most prominent features in 

 Epizootic Catarrh. 



Causes. — Exposure of the animal, when perspiring, to cold 

 draughts ; and to the combined eflfects of wet and cold. The 

 disease sometimes prevails as an epizootic. 



Teeatmejs't. — See Article "Traumatic Opthalmia," Section 

 VIII. See also Article "Epizootic Catarrh" (treatment of) 

 page 228. 



SPECIEIC OPTHALMIA. 



The best and most complete account of this disease which 

 has hitherto appeared from the pen of any English veterinary 

 writer, is that which is written by the late Mr. W. Percival, 

 and which is published in the third volume of that author's 

 work, entitled " Hippopathology." The article treating upon 

 the disease in question is written with great clearness, and is 

 faithful to a degree ; it is one of those diseases, in fact, upon 

 which I should naturally expect Mr. Percival, when living, to 

 have written soundly and excellently. 



