OBSERVATIONS MADE IN CANINE MEDICINE, 
247 
mineral astringents in various strengths, with a fair amount of 
satisfaction in cases where symptoms were not too urgent and 
the granulations were but slightly organized or carnified, but 
have almost entirely abandoned that practice in favor of the 
thorough curetting of the surface with a dull instrument (gen¬ 
erally using a small bone scoop), under cocaine amesthesia. 
The curetting in my hands has proven far more rapid and 
effectual when properly carried out, and has the great advant¬ 
age of leaving the healed surface in a much more normal con¬ 
dition than where repeated applications of escharotics have been 
used, this not infrequently giving a slight tendency to distortion 
of the fibrous lamina of the appendage when used in over¬ 
strength. After curetting I prescribe frequent spraying with 3 
p. c. boracic acid solution. 
In all cases where the corneal symptoms are marked by pain 
and abrasion, I invariably select the operation of excision of the 
entire offending membrane, and look upon local treatment by 
medicinal applications as the greatest mistake. Time is every¬ 
thing in these severe cases in saving vision, and there is no time 
to be lost in speculative treatment. 
The operation of excision is extremely safe and simple and 
the results are immediate and, in the vast majority of cases, 
highly satisfactory, even where the secondary lesions are most 
serious. 
To operate, produce a thorough anaesthesia of the eye and its 
appendages with 4 p. c. cocaine solution, taking the precaution 
to pick up the membrane and drop a few drops upon its poste¬ 
rior surface. 
The instruments required are few and simple—a pair of 
small, flat dressing scissors, with blunt point curved laterally, 
one pair of eye forceps, one medium-sized curved needle and 
double thread of silk floss, all to be aseptic, and placed in basin 
of sterilized water. 
Open the eyelids, spray out the eye thoroughly with 3 p. c. 
solution of boracic acid. Place a tape about the nose and muz¬ 
zle the animal if it be a dog, drawing the same moderately tight 
