460 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



The wound must be treated with mild antiseptic powders 

 and astringent remedies avoided. 



As the operation is attended with considerable pain, ade- 

 quate restraint is essential. 



Ablation of the Eye Ball. 



The globe of the eye, including its closely attached ap- 

 pendages, sometimes requires ablation in horses, dogs, and 

 oxen. The most common afflictions necessitating the opera- 

 tion are malignant neoplasms, serious infections supervening 

 penetrant wounds and lacerations of the cornea, and forward 

 dislocations of the ball from violence. The first two are en- 

 countered in all the animals, while the latter is exclusively an 

 accident of dogs. I .. 



The operation is one that must not be too hastily em- 

 ployed for these several afflictions. It is a serious operation 

 and sometimes ends fatally from intra-cranial complications, 

 especially purulent cerebral meningitis. In view of this fact 

 the possible benefits of simple procedures, such as enucleation 

 of the contents of the globe, or excision of harmful portions 

 alone, should be given first consideration. The major opera- 

 tion of excising the entire globe and attached appendages, 

 from the ciliary margin to the optic foramen, must be re- 

 served for serious conditions actually demanding it, the chief 

 ones of which are extensive cancerous conditions of horses 

 and oxen and incurable dislocations of dogs. In the treat- 

 ment of growths, however, ablation may be prudently de- 

 cided upon early on account of suspected malignancy, and in 

 order to prevent the disease from developing into a diffused 

 inoperable condition by encroaching upon, the surrounding 

 inaccessible, structures. Since cancer of the eye, which is 

 a very common affliction of horses and oxen, may develop 

 rapidly from a small granular elevation on the conjunctiva to 

 an enormous, cauliflower mass implicating all of the 

 structures of the orbital cavity, the intervention must come 

 early enough to head off the march of the disease in every 

 direction, and in order to prevent recurrence every diseased 

 part must be excised by liberal transgression into the healthy 

 surroundings, even if the entire globe must be sacrificed. 



When such growths have advanced into the surrounding 

 tissues after already having destroyed the globe, they may 

 be deemed incurable and the subject should be condemned 

 for slaughter. 



TECHNIQUE. — The operation is performed in the re- 



