CHAPTER 'VIII. 



OPERATIONS ON THE EYE AND ITS APPENDAGES. 



Examination for, and Removal of, Foreign Bodies.— The 



removal of foreign bodies from the eye can be accomplished 

 quite painlessly under the influence of cocaine, eucaine, or a 

 mixture of the two. A small quantity of a 2 to 4 per cent, 

 solution, applied with a camel-hair brush, will produce a very 

 effectual anaesthesia in from one to three minutes. The eye- 

 lids are then separated with the fingers or by the aid of a 

 speculum, the foreign body being sought for, and, when found, 

 removed either with forceps, a blunt probe, or some sharp 

 instrument, the choice of which must be determined by the 

 operator. In using anything sharp great care must be taken 

 that the instrument is held in such a way that the cornea will 

 not be injured if the patient unexpectedly moves. A few drops 

 of castor oil are often of great assistance as a lubricant. 



Removal of Dermoid Growths from the Cornea.— In operat- 

 ing upon dermoid growths very great care has to be exercised 

 in order to avoid rupturing the cornea ; sometimes the growth 

 is very vascular, and gives trouble on account of haemorrhage, 

 in which cases cold compresses wrung out in boracic solution 

 (about 8 or 10 grains to the ounce) should be applied. 



The operation itself consists, after anaesthetising in the usual 

 way with cocaine or eucaine, in carefully dissecting off the 

 growth with a small and very sharp scalpel. It is rarely of 

 permanent value to merely pluck out the hairs, as they almost 

 invariably reappear and cause more irritation than before. 



