396 • Veterinary Medicine. 



and lens finally become the seat of exudation and opacity which 

 is liable to prove permanent 



Prognosis. The internal ophthalmias are always to be dreaded. 

 In other organs exudates may take place and become organized 

 as permanent structures without abolishing the function or ren- 

 dering the organ physiologically useless, but in the delicate and 

 transparent tissues of the eye, any such permanent product almost 



. infallibly causes opacity and loss, or serious impairment of vision. 

 In the retina the displacement, derangement, or covering up of 



. the cones and rods necessarily interferes with or abolishes sight, 

 the opacity of the cornea, lens, capsule, or vitreous interrupts 

 the rays of light, and the destruction, or coating over of the pig- 

 ment of the choroid leads to undue reflection and destroys vision. 

 Besides this the destruction or impairment of one part of the eye, 

 changes the refraction and blurs the vision, or interferes with 

 accommodation and destroys the utility of the organ. Unless 

 therefore the disease can be cut short in its early stages and a 

 complete resolution effected it is . likely to leave the patient very 

 much deteriorated in value. Fortunately it is only in the most 

 violent cases or in very susceptible animals that the disease in the 

 one eye is transmitted to the other by sympathy and leads to des- 

 truction of that eye as well. 



In the treatment of internal ophthalmia, rest in pure air and 

 moderate warmth, away from a fierce glare of light is impera- 

 tive. The causes should as far as possible be removed. Next, it 

 is desirable to establish derivation. Leblanc and Trasbot attach 

 great importance to phlebotomy from the jugular on the same 

 side. A more direct local action with less loss of blood may be 

 obtained from opening the angular vein of the eye or applying a 

 leech beneath the lower lid. In most cases a sufficient derivative 

 action can be secured by an active purgative which may be fol- 

 lowed by daily doses of cooling diuretics. lyocally astringent 

 lotions (lead acetate or zinc sulphate i dr. to i qt. water ; mer- 

 curic chloride, I : 5000 ; boric acid, 2 : 100 ; pyoktannin, i :iooo) 

 in combination with cocaine hydrochlorate, homatropin, atropia 

 sulphate, duboisia or hyoscyamin ( i : 1000) would be appropriate. 

 These may be applied over the eye on a soft cloth, and in cases 

 of infective inflammation the more antiseptic agents may be in- 

 jected under the lids. When the inflammation is very severe the 



