DISEASES OF THE EYE. M 



a J;lv organic than all other diseases; for not only can no cnange 

 n.ke place in the composition of the blood without in some le- 

 gree affecting all parts which are nourished by it, but that tnis 

 fluid is, strictly speaking, itself a livkig organism, and every 

 change which takes place therein is organic. Life can not be 

 arrested without material change in the organs necessary to life. 

 Every autopsy in which we fail to discover these changes, proves 

 merely that our knowledge of life and death is defective, not that 

 the changes do not exist." 



Purulent Ophthalmia. 



Purulent ophthalmia takes its name from the profuse discharge 

 of pus, or matter, which escapes from the eyelids. In regard to 

 the human subject, the authorities contend that there are several 

 varieties of this malady prevalent in man, one of which, the Egypt- 

 ian ophthalmia, is contagious ; but no such disease was ever known 

 to occur among horses. 



Causes. — The various maladies which affect the eyes sometimes 

 owe their origin to accidents; at other times they occur in badly 

 % entilatcd stable*, where a large number of horses are congregated 

 together, and tW they are supposed to be contagious. But it ap- 

 pears that thee is no necessity, in such case, to advance the theory 

 of contagion, by way of explanation of the outbreak ; for the same 

 cause which oroduced the malady in the first horse would be more 

 01 less creative in all the rest. A hot, foul atmosphere :ias a 

 \ery Hd effect on the eyes of both men and horses. The mem- 

 brane lining the eyelids, which also covers the eyeball, is very vas- 

 cular and sensitive, and is extremely susceptible to irritation froni 

 the action of the ammoniacal gases which prevail in foul stables ; 

 hence, in order to prevent the disease, proper attention must bf 

 paid to ventilation and cleanliness. 



Treatment. — For the treatment of purulent ophthalmia tne au- 

 thor recommends the following lotion : 



No. 3. Powdered chlorate of potass \ oz. 



Fluid extract of matico 1 oz. 



Water » 8 oz. 



Mix. 



A poition of this lotion should be applied to the eyes, by means 

 of a *oti sponge, two or three times a day; the eyes as well as the 



