242 
FRANK H. MILLER. 
defined dermatitis in its course, while not infrequently corneal 
opacity and ulceration occur with all which that implies regard- 
ixig- permanent injury to vision. It is an almost daily occur¬ 
rence where small animals are treated to have dogs of all breeds, 
ages and conditions presented for onr consideration, with the 
history that since a more or less remote date, excessive lachry- 
mation had been noticed, which, be it here remarked, will be 
found to have gone along without any degree of photophobia 
(or aversion to light as shown by closed eyes). The weeping 
has not diminished, but rather increased, under such household 
remedies as hot saline solutions, etc., not altogether to be de¬ 
spised by the veterinarian, until at the time of presentation pho¬ 
tophobia and perhaps corneal complication are becoming patent 
(so called “ film ” of kennelmen), and the owner is satisfied that 
things have gone beyond his or her control. These symptoms 
may be confined to one or both eyes (more nsnally the latter). 
The condition has progressed insidiously from a state which 
evidently caused but little distress at first to animal or owner, 
until at present very grave possibilities are plainly in sight. 
These cases as they come to us for treatment rarely have 
any history of particular value to us in forming our diagnosis 
beyond what I have mentioned. Upon inspection of the gen¬ 
eral condition of the conjunctiva we have but little difficulty 
in pronouncing it to be a disease affecting that membrane al¬ 
most entirely; but we are at a loss to know how to reconcile 
the rather grave appearance of the conjunctival lamina of the 
cornea, the excessive lachrymation which in itself contains very 
scant evidences indeed of the deeper conjunctival disturbances 
as mucous or pus cells, with the comparatively healthy appear¬ 
ance of the palpebral conjunctivse, which in very many cases re¬ 
veals to us a state of true hypersemia rather than inflammation. 
Frequently the corneal opacity is casually noticed to be toward 
the nasal side of that structure and to be in the great majority 
of cases confined entirely to infiltration into the superficial 
layer of the same. We may or may not at first be able to dis¬ 
tinguish structural defect or erosion-like spots upon its sur- 
