608 
DROPSY OF THE GLOBE OF THE EYE. 
membranes, or cellular tissue, or the synovial skin, or in an af- 
fection of one of the serous membranes. It is always difficult to 
define their actual seat, and it too frequently happens that this 
important point is not ascertained until after the death of the 
patient. 
Magazin Jar die gesammte Thierheilkunde , 1841, p. 34. 
A CASE OF DROPSY OF THE GLOBE OF THE EYE 
PREVIOUS TO BIRTH (HYDROPTHALMUS CON- 
GENITUS) IN A LAMB. 
By the same. 
Among the diseases which affect the eye, dropsy of the globe 
of it is one that is seldom observed in our domesticated animals, 
but which may, in most cases, be considered as incurable. The 
seat of it cannot always be satisfactorily ascertained : it may be 
confined to the anterior or posterior chambers of the eye, or it may 
exist in both at once. 
The first-named form — dropsy of the anterior chamber of the 
eye ( hydrops camera anterioris ), consists in an alteration of the 
quantity of aqueous humour; while the second — dropsy of the 
lens ( hydrops corporis vitrei ), is a collection of matter in the cel- 
lular tissue of the lens, whereby an effusion into these organs is 
established. The conjunction of these two alterations of struc- 
ture forms compound dropsy. 
The case which I am about to describe is one of dropsy of the 
lens, and is the more serious, as the disease existed prior to birth, 
and was a vitium congenitum. As there is not, to my knowledge, 
any existing record of a case of dropsy of the anterior chamber 
of the eye existing previous to birth, the following may prove not 
uninteresting. 
This disease was observed in an eight-day old lamb that was 
perfectly formed in all other respects. Both the eyeballs were 
considerably swollen, especially the left one, which was nearly 
as large as a dove’s egg. The pupils of both eyes were drawn 
towards the near angle, and only about one-third of the smooth 
dark cornea was visible when the animal unclosed its eyes. The 
chief swelling or enlargement of the eyeball was perceptible on 
the outer side, and, notwithstanding its enormous size, the eye- 
lids were capable of closing. The lamb was quite blind, but it 
recognized its mother by the sound of her bleat, and sucked her 
whenever it felt hungry. As the value of the animal was depre- 
