Wounds of the Eyelids. 337 



though by no means an sesthetic covering for the eye may remain. 

 This may serve for a common work horse, but the unsightli- 

 ness would necessarily debar him from use in a carriage or as a 

 saddle horse. The imperfect protection too, exposes the eye 

 to rainstorms, hail and snow, as well as to dust, and greatly 

 predisposes to conjunctivitis. * 



Treatment. One can trust implicitly to the extraordinary re- 

 paratory power of the eyelids, yet so unsightly is any distortion 

 of these parts, that the greatest pains must be taken to obviate 

 loss of substance, or unevenness or puckering in healing. The 

 points to be mainly sought for are the perfect coaptation of the 

 divided edges, and the restraining of the patient from interrupting 

 the healing process and breaking loose the forming adhesions, by 

 rubbing the eye. 



Inconsiderable wounds of the skin may be simply stitched 

 together with sterilized. catgut. Then the intervals between the 

 stitches may be approximated, dried, and covered with strips of 

 sticking plaster, or with shellac, collodion or gelatine. Frick's 

 gelatine is made by dissolving fine gelatine in a i per cent, solu- 

 tion of corrosive sublimate and adding about 10 per cent, of glycer- 

 ine, perfecting the admixture by the aid of heat. When wanted 

 for use it may be melted by heat and applied on the skin with a 

 camel's hair brush. Bird lime may be used as a substitute. 

 Sterilization must be sought by the use of sublimate lotion i : 2000, 

 or boric acid 2 : 100. Formerly the edges were kept in close: 

 opposition by the use of quilled sutures, the stitches passed around 

 the quills being inserted at the usual distances while the (juills, 

 applied against the edges of the wound kept them smooth and 

 even and obviated puckering. Or, perhaps better, the twisted 

 suture may be employed, the edges being brought together by 

 pins placed close together and a silk thread carried around each 

 in figure of 8, and spirally from pin to pin along the entire length. 

 If one pin comes out it ought to be promptly replaced and the 

 whole left in place until a firm adhesion is established. The 

 points of the pins are cut off short so that there may be no risk of 

 their pricking. 



With any method the horse or ox may be turned in his stall so 

 that his tail may be toward the manger and his face outward, and 

 he may be tied by two halters to the two posts, right and left. His 

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