STRABISMUS. 7 1 



over the staphyloma, carefully drawn just sufficiently tight to 

 act as a ligature without cutting into the protruding part, and 

 left in that position for one or two days, when the staphyloma 

 is excised. 



Previous to the operation the eyeball is prepared by the 

 application of a solution of some antiseptic and local anaesthetic. 

 It is often a matter of difficulty in our patients to keep the 

 ligature in position. In very persistent cases benefit is also 

 derived from allowing the escape of some of the aqueous 

 humour by the operation of tapping the cornea already described. 



Operation for Strabismus. — Strabismus or "squint" is not 

 a common deformity in veterinary patients. One case came 

 under observation in the Free Out-patient's Department in 

 March 1895,^ the animal being a very fat collie dog with a 

 well-marked internal squint in each eye, the pupils appearing 



/ 



Fig. 42. 

 Strabismus hook ("Walton's). 



to be looking at the nose all the time. The appearance of the 

 animal's face was most ludicrous. The deformity was con- 

 genital, the animal being then about three years old. No 

 defect of vision had been observed until during the last three 

 months, when the owner stated that the dog appeared to see 

 imperfectly, and when crossing a crowded thoroughfare had 

 been almost run over on one or two occasions ; this latter fact 

 led him to seek professional advice. 



The operation for the relief of strabismus is not a difficult 

 one, although requiring a certain delicacy of manipulation of 

 the instruments. Either local or general ansesthesia may be 

 used, the latter being preferable, because the head can be kept 



1 "Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics," Vol. VIII., p. 250. 

 'Veterinary Record," Vol. VII., p. 688. 



