IRITIS 127 



Congenital Opacities of the Cornea 



Congenital opacities in many cases clear up or 

 diminish a few months after birth, others again per- 

 sist, and may cause total blindness. 



Treatment. — The eye should be left alone until 

 all active inflammation has subsided, since the ration- 

 ale of all treatment is stimulation. 



Solutions of protargol, five grains to the ounce, 

 or six-per-cent ammonium chlorid give excellent re- 

 sults when instilled into the conjunctival sac three 

 or four times a day, but probably the best agent for 

 this condition is three-per-cent yellow oxid of mer- 

 cury ointment, a small quantity of about the size 

 of the head of a match being introduced twice 

 daily. 



In persistent cases intramuscular injections of 

 fibrolysin should be tried, as brilliant results are 

 sometimes obtained from its use. 



Iritis 



Inflammation of the iris is 'characterized by severe 

 pain, especially when the eye is exposed to strong 

 light, sluggishness of the pupil, pericorneal injection, 

 and change in color from the normal to yellowish- 

 red or to red. Synechiae are nearly" always its 

 sequela, and sometimes in cases of profuse .exudation 

 there is exclusion of the pupil. 



Treatment. — If the eye is protected from light 

 and irritants, mild cases of iritis will recover with 

 local treatment by atropin, adrenalin, and cocain. 

 In more severe cases, however, the local treatment 

 should be supplemented with corneal puncture (to 

 relieve tension) and free purgation (calomel). In 

 all cases full dilation of the pupil miast be secured 

 to guard against or to break down already existing 

 synechiae. Hot compresses over the affected eye 

 and a full dose of H-M-C are of great assistance 



