74 The Philippine Journal of Science 1920 
that traumatic injuries must be considered as emergency cases 
and, therefore, require immediate attention right after the in- 
jury. But, as a rule, these patients come for treatment too 
late and in very serious condition. 
The following enumeration shows the degree of eye infection 
in these cases: 
Three cases with total destruction of the corneal substance, 
with pus in the anterior chamber and involvement of the ciliary 
bodies, and with vision very poor and almost negative. 
Eight cases with corneal ulcerations and beginning disintegra- 
tion of the corneal tissues, with hypopyon, and only able to 
perceive light. 
Six cases with corneal ulcers and hypopyon and able to count 
fingers at the average distance of three feet. 
Four cases with superficial ulcers and hypopyon, and vision 
good except slightly impaired due to photophobia and lachry- 
mation. 
Thus, it will be seen that only four had fairly good vision, six 
could hardly see objects, and the rest could be considered as 
having totally lost vision. 
TREATMENT 
Preoperative. — Patients are submitted to very little or prac- 
tically no medical treatment. The bowels are opened regularly 
by cathartics, usually magnesium sulphate or magnesium citrate. 
If there is much pain in the affected eye dionin (one to two 
drops of 10 per cent solution) is administered once or twice 
daily, depending upon the severity of the pains. The eye is 
kept clean by antiseptic eyewashes and by the use of the silver 
compounds, usually nitrate (from 1 to 2 per cent), and iodoform 
powder. Simple, hot, moist compress, or with aluminium acetate 
well diluted, was applied to the eyes in acute cases, especially 
in those with involvement of the conjunctival lids. Urotropin, 
a 30-centigram capsule, was administered internally three times 
a day in all cases. 
Technic of corneal paracentesis. — The routine preparation for 
a regular major ocular operation is made. The eye is put under 
a complete local anaesthesia with 10 per cent cocain solution, 
although in children and nervous patients, and in acute cases 
with acute pains due to increased ocular tension, general anaes- 
thesia is used. (General anaesthesia was used in some of my 
cases, and local in others.) The lids are opened by a lid retrac- 
tor, exposing the eyeball. The eyeball is held with a fixation 
forceps with the left hand. A narrow-blade, Graefe’s cataract 
