ON PERIODICAL OPHTHALMIA. 
385 
CASE. 
Mr. Jos. Ash, of this town, had a bay mare, half bred, seven 
years old, attacked with ophthalmia six weeks ago, in the left eye. 
The pupil was much contracted, with great impatience of light. 
There was little abatement of the symptoms for fourteen days. 
There is at this time but little difference in the size of the pupils, 
and the lens is equally clear. This mare has been at grass from 
the commencement of last summer through the whole of the 
winter, and was in the field when inflammation appeared in the 
eye. Mr. Ash having been ill, the mare has been living an idle 
life. He bred this mare, and informs me no mare had better 
eyes than her dam, or the horse that she was by. 
The causes of this attack of ophthalmia I shall leave without 
comment. 
The inflammation in nowise differs from common inflamma¬ 
tion in other structures, and the results have no specific differ¬ 
ence from the sequelae of inflammation in other vascular struc¬ 
tures ; and there appears nothing very astonishing in the fact 
that inflammation should defy our remedial exertions in so vas¬ 
cular a structure as the iris and tunica choroides: yet I believe 
that much may be done, if not many eyes saved, by diligent 
perseverance on the part of the practitioner. I cannot boast of 
having cured a case of ophthalmia, but I have had the very great 
pleasure of witnessing an absence of acute inflammation follow¬ 
ing the first paroxysm for twelve months. 
By way of explanation, we will suppose the practitioner called 
to a case of internal ophthalmia on its first attack. He bleeds, 
gives a laxative, orders fomentations and lotions to the eye or 
eyes, exclusion from light, clothing, and a mash diet. In the 
course of a few days the tumefaction of the lids and flow of tears 
subside; the eye becomes less impatient of light; the nebula 
clears from the cornea; and the patient being so far relieved, 
the practitioner discontinues his treatment, under the impression 
of having effected all within the scope of his art, and quietly 
awaits another paroxysm; ,l for,” says he, “ blind the horse 
must be, and all I can do is to palliate urgent symptoms.” 
This, too, is understood to be the nature of the malady by the 
owner of the horse; and being thus in possession of the ultima¬ 
tum of the case, he determines that the animal shall resume his 
ordinary employment, and his usual mode of living, and all pre¬ 
cautions cease. What may be rationally expected but a return, 
erelong, of acute inflammation? Should not the bleedings and 
aperient medicine, the antiphlogistic regimen, fomentations, ex¬ 
clusion from light, &c. be persevered in until the pupil corre¬ 
sponds with that of the unaffected eye ? or, if both eyes are dis¬ 
eased, until the pupils accommodate themselves to the degree of 
vol. v. 3 G 
