O P H 
degree, and upon as great a number of perfons, within 
a fmall diftriCt oflefsthan a mile, as it ever did in Egypt; 
and yet, beyond this fpace, on either fide, fcarcely a per- 
fon was a defied with it. The diforder was certainly 
brought into this country by the foldiers who returned 
from Egypt, and was probably communicated from them 
to many others. Now, as the a&ion of the atmofphere 
alone cannot account for the fpreading of the difeafe, 
&c. Mr. Ware is led to believe, that this particular dif¬ 
order is only communicable by abfolute contaft ; that is, 
by the application of fome part of the difcharge, which 
iffues, cither from the conjunftiva of an affeCted eye, or 
from fome other membrane fecreting a fimilar poifon, to 
the conjunctiva of the eye of another perfon. In fchools 
and nurferies, in confequence of children ufing the fame 
bafins and towels as others who had the complaint, the 
difeafe has been communicated to nearly twenty in one 
academy. Hence Mr. Ware cenfures the indifcriminate 
ufe of thofe articles in fchools, nurferies, hofpitals, (hips, 
and barracks. 
We have already detailed the fuccefsful plan of taking 
very large quantities of blood from the arm, as praftifed 
by Mr. Peach. Mr. Ware fpeaks alfo in favour of bleed¬ 
ing; but has rarely carried it to theextent it has been in 
the army. In weak perfons this gentleman prefers, in¬ 
tend of repeating venefeftion, topical bleeding, either 
from the vein that pafles on the fide of the nofe, or by 
means of five or fix leeches put on the temple. Some¬ 
times, he thinks it better to fcarify the infide of the lower 
eye-lid with the point of a lar-cet, carried along parallel 
to, and very near, the margin of this part. After taking 
away blood, Mr. Ware fays, a large blifter on the head, 
or back, is often ufeful. Anodynes (liould be given, with 
occafional purgatives, and an antiphlogiftic regimen. 
Dr. Vetch, on the fubjeCl of local applications in the 
prelent difeafe, advifes keeping the eyes continually co¬ 
vered with linen dipt in fome cooling lotion. In the 
firil ftage, he gives the preference to dropping the aqua 
fapphirina into the eye; afterwards, when the Cwellingof 
the eye-lids has come on, he prefers the aqua litharg. acet. 
While the patient is fubjeCl to a recurrence of pain, he 
thinks the injedion of warm water the bed application. 
For the purpofe of leflening the fvvelling of the eye-lids, 
he advifes comprelTes dipt in the aqua litharg. acet. to 
be applied with a moderately firm preffure. When the 
fwelling, and other- fymptoms of the fecond (tage, have 
fubfided, Dr. Vetch recommends more aftringent appli¬ 
cations, fuch as the aqua lithargyri acet. Bates’s cam¬ 
phorated w : ater, folutions of alum, and the muriate of 
mercury. 
Mr. Ware gives the preference to the aqua camphorata 
of Bates’s Difpenfatory ; which, however, Mr, W. direfts 
as follows : R Cupri vitriolati. Bol. Armen, aa gr. viij. 
Camphone gr. ij. Mifce, et affunde aqua; bullientis gviii. 
Cum lotio fit frigida, effundatur limpidus liquor, et 
ftepifiime injiciatur paululum inter ocuium et palpebras. 
This remedy poffeffes a very ftyptic quality ; but it is 
much too ftrong for ufe before it is diluted ; and the 
degree of its dilution muft always be determined by the 
peculiar circumftance of each cafe. Mr. Ware ventures 
to recommend about one dram of it to be mixed with an 
ounce of cold clear water, as a medium or ftandard, to 
be llrengthened or weakened as occafion may require. 
The remedy muft be applied by means of a fmall ivory or 
pewter fyringe, at the end of which is a blunt-pointed 
cone. The extremity of this inftrument is to be placed 
between the edges of the eye-lids, in fuch a manner, 
that the medicated liquor may be carried over the whole 
furface of the eye. Thus the matter will be entirely 
waftied away, and enough of the ftyptic medicine left 
behind to interrupt and diminifli the excefiive difcharge. 
According to the quantity of matter, and the rapidity 
with which it is fecreted, the ftrength of the application, 
and the frequency of repeating it, muft be regulated. In 
mild recent cafes, the lotion may be ufedonce or twice a- 
O P I 531 
day, and rather weaker than the above proportions; but, 
in inveterate cafes, it is necefiary to apply it once or twice 
every hour, and to increafe its ftyptic power in proportion ; 
and, when the complaint is fomewhat relieved, the ftrength 
of the lotion may be lefiened, and its application be lefs 
frequent. Probably, if army-furgeons had been careful 
to inject their applications under the eye-lids, as advifed 
by Mr. Ware, great benefit would have been produced. 
In other ways, the effect of the remedies is often loft. He 
ufually employs the lotion cold, efpecially in children ; 
but, in fome adults, in wdiom the general fever and local 
inflammation have been confiderable, he has been obliged 
to ufe it warmed. 
Mr. Wardrop, it is well known, has advifed puncturing 
the cornea, and letting out the aqueous humour, in all 
cafes of ophthalmy attended with fevere fymptoms and 
confiderable fullnefs of the eye. Mr. Ware approves 
of the fame proceeding in the epidemic purulent or 
Egyptian ophthalmy, when antiphlogiftic, mucous, and 
aftringent, lotions, fail in leflening the fymptoms, and in 
preventing the cornea from becoming opaque ; bur, efpe¬ 
cially, if a white rim Ihould begin to be formed at its 
circumference. " 
See Richter’s Anfangfgrunde der Wundarzneykunft, 
band 3. Ware on Ophthalmy, &c. Cooper’s DiCt. of 
Practical Surgery, and Firft Lines. Saunders’s Treatife 
on fome Practical Points relating to Difeafes of the Eye. 
Scarpa’s Oflervaz. fulle Principali Malattie degli Occhi. 
Vetch’s Account of the Ophthalmia as it appeared in 
England fince the return of the army from Egypt; 1807. 
Edin. Med. Journal for Jan. 1807. 
Sir William Adams has acquired a high reputation for 
thetreatment of the ophthalmia, and by the operations he 
has recently performed ; and an hofpital for thetreatment 
of that diforder in particular has been juft ereCted in the 
Regent’s Park. 
OPHTHAL'MIC, adj. Relating to the eye. 
OPHTHAL'MICS, J'. Medicines proper for difeafes of 
the eyes. 
OPHTHALMOGR A'PHIA,/! [from theGr. opSa.X^, 
and yfccQu, I defcribe.] That branch of anatomy which 
confiders the ftructure and compofition of the eye, the 
ufe of its parts, and the principal effects of vifion. Our 
countryman, Dr. William Briggs, has publifhed an ex¬ 
cellent Ophthalmographia, and Plempius another. 
OPHTHALMOS'COPY, /.' [from the Gr. utp^a.'Ky,^, 
the eye, and o-y.mrtu, to view.] A branch of phyfiognomy, 
which deduces the knowledge of a man’s temper and 
character from the appearance of his eyes. 
O'PIATE, j\ [from opium.'] A medicine that caufes 
deep.—They chofe atheifm as an opiate, to (till thofe 
frightening apprehenftons of hell, by inducing a dnl- 
nefs and lethargy of mind, rather than to make ufe of 
that native and lalutary medicine, a hearty repentance. 
Bentley. 
Thy thoughts and mulic change with ev’ry line ; 
No famenefs of a prattling ftream is thine, 
Which, with one unifon of murmur flows. 
Opiate of inattention and repofe. Harte. 
O'PIATE, adj. Soporiferous; fomniferous; narcotic; 
caufing deep.—The particular ingredients of thofe magi¬ 
cal ointments are. opiate and foporiferous. For, anoint¬ 
ing of the forehead and back-bone is ufed for procuring 
dead lleeps. Bacon. —Lettuce, which has a milky juice 
with an anodyne or opiate quality refolvent of the bile, is 
proper for melancholy. Arbntluiot on Aliments. 
Spangled with eyes, more numerous than thole 
Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drouze, 
Charm’d with Arcadian pipe, the paftoral reed 
Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Milton's P. L. 
OPICOUSI'VA. /'. in Roman antiquity, the feftivals 
which were celebrated at noon in honour of the goddefs 
Gps. Ajh.- 
O'PIE 
