74 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



ation by pressure resumed. Attempt is made to entirely 

 empty the chamber. Fixed coagula lying along the floor of 

 the chamber or upon the posterior face of the cornea are 

 teased loose with the hook if the fixation is not too firm, but 

 when firmly attached the attempt will be futile and will pro- 

 voke bleeding. 



Free bodies are withdrawn by passing the hook around 

 them regardless of the position they occupy in the chamber. 

 The hook may be passed into the pupillary opening or to any 

 part of the chamber which chances to harbor harmful ele- 

 ments. 



AFTER-CARE. — The eye is treated daily to a rinsing of 

 'boric acid solution and then anointed over the entire globe 

 and conjunctival sac with an ointment consisting ©f yellow 

 oxide of mercury, ten per cent, and vaseline, 90 per cent. 



SEQUELS and ACCIDENTS.— If performed with ster- 

 ilized instruments no untoward results occur, but if septic 



Fig. 35 — An Intra-Ocular Invasion with the Cataract Knife. 



products are deposited in the chamber, a possible inflam- 

 matory condition may follow. It is, however, remarkable 

 how seldom serious inflammation supervenes. 



The most common accident of the operation is bleeding 

 into the anterior chamber. The cornea in periodic ophthal- 

 mia, even after all evidence of inflammation seems to have 

 subsided, bleeds readily from its internal layer and as a few 

 drops of blood dissolved in the aqueous humor immediately 

 transforms the eye into a "blood-shot" condition, there is lit- 

 tle possibility of proceeding effectually with the operation. 

 In fact as soon as the blood has disseminated over the whole 

 chamber the proceedings should cease. 



Phlebotomy. 



SYNONYMS.— Bleeding; blood-letting; venesection; 

 blood abstraction. 



DEFINITION. — Etymologically, phlebotomy is the sur- 

 gical incision of a vein, but its meaning in surgery has been 



