DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
541 
of the eye to such an extent that the sight may be impaired or 
even destroyed ; while others may destroy a large part of the 
eye and extend to structures beyond, and injuring the orbit. 
Such punctures are invariably serious and the only object in 
view in the treatment is to prevent infection. 
There are other incised and punctured wounds of the eye 
which are more frequently observed in horses than those above 
mentioned ; such as are inflicted by stones or other hard solid 
substances thrown by boys ; wounds caused by whip lashes, or 
those inflicted by buckles on halters or bridles used by brutal, 
merciless and inhuman attendants in beating horses over the 
head. Wounds of this class are usually in the cornea, it being 
the least protected, and are most invariably serious ones, but 
yield to treatment much better than penetrating. Penetrating 
wounds with prolapsus of the iris or lens are always followed by 
loss of sight; .but punctures in the sclera or sclero-corneal mar¬ 
gin are occasionally successfully treated, leaving the eye with 
but a small cicatricial impression, and the patient with unim¬ 
paired sight; but when these wounds are in the cornea, the 
results are not so encouraging, even if infection is obviated and 
the wound healed by first intention, it is seldom that in such 
instances the cornea can be “ cleared up ” sufficiently to not im¬ 
pair the sight. 
Besides the cases of penetrating wounds of the eye that have 
come under our observation, Dr. Wm. Schumacher, of Lagrange, 
Ill., reports a case in which a horse was injured by a street car, 
and the eye punctured by a piece of glass. The contents of the 
eye were removed and infection prevented. 
Dr. A. H. Baker, of Chicago Veterinary College, in a sum¬ 
mary of results obtained from the treatment of punctured wounds 
of the cornea, states that but a small percentage of cases termi¬ 
nate favorably ; most of them are left with unsightly cicatrices, 
impaired vision or unpreventable infection, which subsequently 
requires enucleation or evisceration. 
2. Superficial Wounds of Eyeball .—Wounds of this class 
may vary in severity according to the danger of infection and 
extent of the wound. A great many of these wounds are 
found in the cornea or corneo-scleral margin, this being the part 
of the eyeball most exposed. The extent of wounds of the cor¬ 
nea is determined by inspection, which is aided by a reflection of 
light upon it at various angles; this will show irregularities in 
the surface and structures involved. Slight injuries to the cor¬ 
nea are often only detected by ver\ close inspection. Large 
