372 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT; 



or from an injury to, or presence of a foreign 

 body in, the eye. 



The animal evidently dreads the light, as 

 the eyelids are partially closed, and the haw is 

 drawn a little way over the front of the eyeball. 

 Tears run down the face, and, if the eyelids 

 are separated, and the internal lining thus 

 exposed, it will be found that it is swollen and 

 reddened from the distension of the small 

 blood-vessels. After a day or two, the dis- 

 charge alters in character, and instead of being 

 watery, as before, appears as yellowish white 

 thick matter, flowing from or sticking to the 

 inner corner of the eye. The lining membrane 

 may become so swollen that it laps over the 

 lids, and the eyeball seems to have sunk into 

 its orbit. 



Sometimes it is associated with the presence 

 on the conjunctiva of small, round, pinkish 

 bodies, the size of a pin's head, which com- 

 pletely disappear as the affection passes off, 

 leaving the mucous membrane as they found 

 it. Frequently, there are reddish-yellow granu- 

 lations or greyish- white, semi-transparent, or 

 glistening bodies, of the size of a rape-seed or 

 less, scattered over the conjunctival membrane, 

 or protruding from it. 



To these two latter varieties of conjunctivitis 

 the terms of follicular and granular are re- 

 spectively applied. They both seem contagious. 



Treatment. If the catarrh of the eyes is due 

 to a foreign body, it must be removed. The 

 cat should be kept in a dark, warm place, free 

 from draughts and away from the fire, and the 

 eye bathed with a warm lotion composed of 

 the following ingredients : 



Boracic acid .... 8 grains. 

 Cocaine hydrochloride . .8 

 Rose-water ... . i ounce. 



If there are any granules on the conjunctiva, 

 the lining membrane of the lids should be 

 everted, after the eye has been cocainised, and 

 painted with a 10 per cent, solution of nitrate 

 of silver or rubbed with a stick of copper 

 sulphate, care being taken that the superfluous 

 material is afterwards washed off with warm 

 water. 



The Purulent Ophthalmia of the New-born is 

 seen in young kittens as soon as their eyes are 

 opened, or even before, and is a very serious 

 complaint, as it generally attacks the eyeball, 

 which it destroys, and consequently the sight 

 is lost. This disease seems contagious. 



There is a bulging of the eyelids, which are 

 glued together. When these are separated, a 



thick, yellowish matter flows out, the eyes are 

 ulcerated and perforated, the inner surfaces of 

 the eyelids are inflamed, and soon after the 

 contents of the eye protrude as a fleshy mass. 



Treatment. If the eyes are destroyed, the 

 animal should be put into the lethal chamber 

 at once. On the other hand, if there is no 

 ulceration of the eyeball, the eyelids should be 

 separated and the eyes and under-surface of 

 the eyelids constantly irrigated for a quarter 

 of an hour at a time with a warm solution of 

 chinosol. The eyelids must not be allowed to 

 become sealed up, else matter will collect and 

 press on the delicate eyeballs and destroy 

 them. It may be advisable to paint the inside 

 of the eyelids with a 10 per cent, solution of 

 nitrate of silver. 



The cornea, or clear, glassy transparent mem- 

 brane of the front of the eyeball, is frequently 

 involved in the disease just described, or it 

 may become inflamed or ulcerated independent 

 of it. 



Inflammation of the cornea, termed Corneitis, 

 keratitis, or external ophthalmia, may result 

 from conjunctivitis, injuries, distemper, diph- 

 theria, or disease of the brain or nerves, sun- 

 stroke, etc. 



It is very prevalent during the cold winds 

 of spring, and in the majority of instances 

 seems to be contagious. It appears in the 

 form of patchy congestion or inflammation, 

 or at a later stage as ulceration. 



One or both eyes may be affected. There 

 is a dread of light, a continual flow of tears, 

 and frequent winking of the eyelids, or almost 

 complete closure of them. The cornea, usually 

 glassy and transparent, becomes clouded by 

 a smoky or milky white film, which has a 

 rounded or irregular form. 



Blood-vessels, which in the normal state are 

 absent, appear on the cornea, spreading from 

 a part or all round the circumference towards 

 the centre of the eye. If the inflammation is 

 intense and prolonged, the eyeball perforated, 

 and the contents bulge outwards and become 

 rough, dirty, and leathery in appearance, this 

 condition is generally seen either as the result 

 of an injury, or from improper treatment, or 

 neglect of a simple affection of the eye. In 

 distemper the inflammation usually expends 

 itself on some particular spot or spots in one or 

 both eyes. These spots may appear as mere 

 milky-white patches, or they may present an 

 appearance which might lead an ordinary 

 observer to the conclusion that a small piece 



