174 CANADIAN HOESE AND HIS DISEASES. 



The cornea is frequently injured from the puncture of a 

 nail, allowing the aqueous humour to escape, and perhaps 

 injuring the crystalline lens, completely destroying vision. 

 When the injury is confined to the cornea the humour may 

 be reproduced. The parts should be diligently bathed, either 

 with hot or cold water, and the fomentations must be applied 

 several times a-day ; and the eye supported by means of a 

 wet sponge or cloth, which tends to subdue the acute inflam- 

 mation and allay the pain, and also by keeping the eyelids 

 closed it supports the lacerated parts. 



After a few days it may be necessary to stimulate the 

 part, when any of the stimulating applications recom- 

 mended for simple opthaWia may be used. 



The membrana nictitans, or haw, sometimes becomes en- 

 larged, the result of an injury, or from being implicated in 

 other diseased conditions of the eye. Even in its healthy 

 state we have known it mistaken (by ignorant persons) for 

 an abnormal structure and barbarously removed. It is not 

 an unusual circumstance to hear persons boastof the rapidity 

 with which they can remove this beautiful and most essential 

 appendage of the eye. 



