674 
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
tion the constitutional- condition of the patienc and the condi¬ 
tion of the sight. In cases of long standing the choroid coat is 
atrophied and the vitreous humor becomes opaque, but in the 
early stage we can detect nothing except enlarged blood-vessels 
with but a slightly impaired sight. The condition is more 
easily detected in human patients than in animals ; slight visual 
defects are not easily detected in animals. 
($) Suppurative choroiditis is a condition, suppurative in na¬ 
ture, which sometimes extends to the ciliary body and iris. The 
cause of the condition is usually due to injuries, such as pene¬ 
trating wounds, or ulcers of the cornea which extend inward 
(:metastatic choroiditis .) The condition may also result from 
some focus of inflammation which may get some of its septic 
product into the circulation and cause a septic embolus, which 
will often produce a secondary infection (< endogenous infection). 
The symptoms are more alarming than those of the exuda¬ 
tive form, and are not confined to the choroidal condition. The 
eyelids become swollen, the intraorbital tissues become infil¬ 
trated with septic products, which change them to such an ex¬ 
tent that the eyeball can scarcely be moved. In this form of 
choroiditis the use of salt solution is not indicated, and it is use¬ 
less to attempt anything but evisceration or enucleation. In 
the exudative form, however, subconjunctival injections have 
been used in human practice with very good results. 1 he in¬ 
jection should extend a little deeper than when the sclera is 
involved. The quantity used is about the same as already 
mentioned. If there is any danger of the exudative condition 
becoming suppurative, bichloride of mercury solution may be 
employed instead of salt solution. The strength of the bichloi- 
ide solution may vary from 1:2000 to 1:4000 or even less. 
3. Corneal Ulcers and Corneitis. —The course and ter¬ 
mination of corneal ulcers have already been mentioned. Sup¬ 
purative keratitis is always due to the presence of septic organ¬ 
isms, which are generally introduced from without; therefore, 
the injuries and wounds of the cornea must be promptly treated 
by disinfection with weak bichloride or formalin solutions. 
Aseptic solutions, such as sterilized water or normal salt solu¬ 
tion, may be used to clean corneal injuries or wounds. Wounds 
in a normal cornea always heal very readily, if not infected ; 
and for this reason, early attention is a precaution which will 
often prevent suppurative corneal complications. 
The Treatment of these corneal conditions should be asep¬ 
tic precaution, to prevent extension of disease; and antiseptic, 
