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INFLAMMATION OF THE EYELIDS. 



The eyelids suffer more or less in all severe inflammatious of the 

 eye, whether external or internal, but inasmuch as the disease some- 

 times starts in the lids and at other times is exclusivel}^ confined to 

 them, it deserves independent mention. 



Among the causes may be named : exposure to draughts of cold air, 

 or to cold rain or snow-storms; the bites or stings of mosquitoes, flies, 

 and other insects; snake-bites, pricks with thorns, blows of whip or 

 club; accidental bruises against the stall or ground, especially during 

 the violent struggles of colic, enteritis, phrenitis (staggers), and when 

 thrown for operations. It is also a result of infecting inoculations, 

 as of erysipelas, anthrax, boil, etc., and is noted by Leblanc as espe- 

 cially prevalent among horses kept on low marshy pastures. Finally, 

 the introduction of sand, dust, chaff, beards of barley and seeds of 

 the finest grasses, and the contact with irritant chemical powders, 

 liquids, and gases (ammonia from manure or factory, chlorine, strong 

 sulphur fumes, smoke, and other products of combustion, etc.), may 

 start the inflammation. The eyelids often undergo extreme inflam- 

 matory and dropsical swelling in urticaria (nettlerash, surfeit), and 

 in the general inflammatory dropsy known as purpura haemorrhagica. 



The affection will, therefore, readily divide itself into (1), inflam- 

 mations due to constitutional causes; (2), those due to direct injury, 

 mechanical or chemical; and (3), such as are due to inoculation vnth 

 infecting material. 



(1) Inflammations due to constitutional causes are distinguished by 

 the absence of an}^ local wound, and the history of a low damp pas- 

 ture, exposure, indigestion from unwholesome food, or the presence 

 elsewhere on the limbs or body of the general doughy swellings of 

 purpura hsemorrhagica. The lids are swollen and thickened, it may 

 be slightly or it may be so extremely that the eye ball can not be seen. 

 If the lid can be everted to show its mucous membrane, that is seen 

 to be of a deep red color, especially along the branching lines of the 

 blood vessels. The part is hot and painful, and a profuse flow of tears 

 and mucus escapes on the side of the face, causing irritation and loss 

 of the hair. If improvement follows, this discharge becomes more 

 tenacious, and tends to cause adhesion to the edges of the upper and 

 lower lids and to mat together the eyelashes in bundles. This grad- 

 ually decreases to the natural amount, and the redness and congested 

 appearance of the eyes disappears, but swelling, thickening, and stiff- 

 ness of the lids may continue for a length of time. There may be 

 more or less fever according to the violence of the inflammation, but 

 so long as there is no serious disease of the interior of the eye or of 

 other vital organ this is usually moderate. 



The local treatment consists in astringent, soothing lotions (sugar of 

 lead 30 gi'ains, laudanum 2 teaspoonfuls, rain water — boiled and 

 cooled — 1 pint), applied with a soft cloth kept wet with the lotion, 



