44 Surgical Diseases and Surgery of the Dog 



plasm of the membrana nictitans, and trichiasis. It may be brought 

 about by dust in animals which habitually run under carriages. 



Two principal forms are recognized-^-the catarrhal and the pur- 

 ulent — and either may run an acute or chronic course. The term 

 "follicular conjunctivitis" is applied to a localization of the disease 

 on the membrana nictitans, generally on its inner surface. Catarrhal 

 conjunctivitis is a simple malady of mild type, usually of short dura- 

 tion, and characterized by vascularization and the secretion of a mu- 

 cous or muco-purulent discharge. Purulent conjunctivitis is of a 

 much more intense type, accompanied with considerable pain, a pro- 

 fuse distinctly purulent secretion, and commonly corneal lesions. 



Symptoms and Diagnosis. In the catarrhal form the vessels be- 

 come injected and a watery secretion at first forms and tends to run 

 over the lids and excoriate the neighboring skin. The secretion soon 

 changes to a greyish muco-pus and collects in the canthi and at 

 night-time glues the lids together with a scab. The animal seeks 

 to free itself of the matter by rubbing its eyes with its paws, but 

 that there is little or no pain is evidenced by the lack of photophobia. 

 In the purulent form the disease first appears mild, but in a few 

 hours grows severe. The vessels become deeply injected, the lids 

 swollen, there is great pain, photophobia, and sensitiveness to ex- 

 ploration, and tears are secreted profusely and run down the face. 

 The inflammatory secretion at first is thick and ropey but later be- 

 comes distinctly purulent of a yellowish or greenish color. Keratitis 

 frequently develops and quickly leads to corneal ulceration, and 

 sometimes to panophthalmia. When the cornea becomes involved 

 the disease runs a lengthened course and the acute symptoms pass 

 to a more chronic state, in which the abnormal sensitiveness disap- 

 pears. In follicular conjunctivitis the mucosa, principally of the in- 

 ner surface of the third eye-lid, is studded with minute dark red 

 round elevations which, when numerous, resemble granulation tis- 

 sue. Under these conditions the membrana appears red and tume- 

 fied and projects more or less over the globe. 



Treatment. The first step is to search for and remove any ap- 

 preciable active irritant, such as a foreign body, entropion, or neo- 

 plasm of the third lid, and where there is any photophobia, confine 

 the animal to a darkened room. In the catarrhal form any of the 

 following lotions are useful: Boracic acid (i:ioo), permanganate 

 of potash ( 1 :2CXX)) , sulphate of zinc ( 1 1250) . In many cases, and 



