"jS CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY. 



very small piece is taken out there is no absolute necessity 

 for the insertion of the sutures. The only unfavourable 

 sequelae to be feared are when an ugly sore occurs as the 

 result of continual rubbing or scratching,^ or when too great 

 an ellipse is made and the eyelid becomes a little everted ; 

 neither are, however, of anything more than minor importance, 

 A second method of operating which is sometimes adopted 

 consists in the application of a red hot needle or wire to the 

 eyelid, the resulting contraction and scar causing the skin of 

 the eyelid to be shortened. In cases of trichiasis it is some- 

 times necessary in addition to the above operation to pluck 

 out the offending hairs by the roots ; this is done with a pair 

 of tightly closing forceps. 



Ectropion. — This term is applied when the eyelids turn out- 

 wards, exposing the conjunctival mucous membrane ; it is a 

 much more rare condition than entropion or trichiasis. It 

 can be treated by the removal of a V-shaped piece of the 

 eyelid, the incision being carried through the whole thickness 

 of the lid, more of the mucous than the cutaneous being ex- 

 cised. The wound is then carefully sutured and treated 

 antiseptically. Another method of treatment consists in the 

 application of the galvanic cautery to the mucous surface in 

 fine lines, a bone spatula being used to protect the eyeball 

 itself; the object is to cause contraction of the mucous mem- 

 brane by the formation of cicatricial tissue. 



1 "Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics," Vol. VIII., p. 247. 



