DISEASES OF THE WEIDA AND ETU.
Psorophthalmy and lippitudo, or inflam mation of the edges of the eyelids, with itching, &c. ung. hydr. nitr. lowered, rubbed on at night with camel-hair pen cils ; vitriolic colyrium, and alterative me dicines.
Purulent ophthalnay. Red, swollen, and everted state of the eyelids, with dis charge of purulent matter, particularly in children. Inject under the eyelids solutions of camphor, or the metallic salts.
Ectropium, or eversion of the eyelids, followed by an indurated and callous state of the conjunctiva. Remove a portion of that membrane. Exactly the reverse of this is the trichiaeis, or inversion; where the hairs rub against the eyeball, and where a portion of the skin of the eyelid must be removed. Hordeolum, or sty, requires an emollient poultice, and touching with argentum nitratum.
Ophthalmy, or inflammation of the eye, distinguished into the first, which is call ed the acute stage, attended with heat, pain, fever, &c. and the second, or chronic period, in which there is a weakness of the organ. Remedies of the first are ; in slight cases, low diet and gentle purging, with keeping off the light ; afterwards, in the chronic state, one of the following collyria. R Zinc.
vitriolat. gr. v. aqu. roam, iv. R Ce runs. acet. gr. viii. Aq. feniculi vi.
Spt. vin. camph. gtt. z. In more severe cases, general and local bleeding ; blis ters to the temples, behind the ears, and to the nape of the neck; warm emollient applications to the eye, total darkness, and the antiphlogistic regimen in every respect. Where the chronic state has commenced, astringent colly ria, or the tinct. thebaica, dropped once or twice a day between the eyelids. When the complaint is very protracted, the state of the constitution in general, or of the digestive organs in particular, often is the cause hence alterative re medies, attention to regularity of the bowels, pure air, exercise, &c. become necessary.
Opacity of the cornea, varying in extent or intensity, and hence divided into nebula, albugo, leucona, &c. often ac companied with varicous vessels in the conjunctiva. Collyria of corrosive sub limate ; ung. hydr. nitr. to the opaque part, touching it with argent. nitr.; cutting the enlarged vessels of the conjunctiva. Ulcers of the cornea should be touched with argent. nitr.
Ptreigium is a reddish, loose, triangu lar membrane, growing over the cornea ; and must be removed by an operation.
Staphyloma is a protrusion of the cornea between the eyelids, consequent on vari ous affections of the eye, and always at tended with entire destruction of the organ of vision. Cut away the project ing part, in order that the globe may col lapse.
Prolapeus of the iris through a wound or ulcer of the cornea ; if all the inflam mation has subsided, touch the tumour repeatedly with argent. nitrat. until it is destroyed.
Hypopyum is the collection of a yellow purulent fluid behind the cornea, conse quent on inflammation of the eye. If the ball should seem much distended, as opening may be made for its discharge otherwise attend only to the complaint which causes it.
Dropsy of the globe terminates in pro trusion of the organ through the eye lids, ophthalmy, and destruction of the part. The projecting cornea may be cut away, that the distended globe may collapse.
Cancer of the eye should be treated by extirpation of the oman, as soon as the disorder is recognised. The outer angle of the eyelids may be divided to give room ; these parts should be preserved, unless included in the disease ; and care must be taken not to penetrate the thin walls of the orbit in the operation.
Gutta serene, or amaurosis, is a paralytic affection of the optic nerve, inducing blindness : it may be either complete or incomplete ; inveterate or recent ; con tinued or periodical. The iris is im movable, and the pupil dilated ; there is strabismus ; insects, or loose substances, seem floating in the air before the com plaint is formed. The incomplete recent form of the disease is most frequently curable ; the complete inveterate amau rosis seldom admitting of cure. The former generally arises from disorders in the prima via, and should be treated with emetic; and the following pills: g gum sagapen. galban. sap. ven. a a 3 i. Rhei 3isa; antim. tart. gr. xvi ; succ. liq. 3 i. M. tiant pilulz granor v. Three to be taken morning and evening for six weeks. Bark, pure air, &c. must be resorted to afterwards. Such cases as arise from organic injury, or disease of the part, or are attended with exostoses of the neigh bouring bones, or with acute and con tinued pain in the head and cye.brow, &c. afford little hope of success. Else tricity has sometimes succeeded, Cataract is an opaque state of the crys talline lens, inducing blindness. Its at tack is gradual; a slowly-increasing mist surrounding all objects. The pupil be comes opaque, and these symptoms pro ceed to an almost entire loss of sight, and milky whiteness of the pupil. A power of distinguishing light from darkness, however, generally remains, and the iris still contracts on exposure to light, which two circumstances distinguish the case from amaurosis. It has been divided into the hard, soft, or caseous, and milky or fluid kinds, according to its consistence ; but these cannot be recognised before the operation. The case is often com plicated by the co-existence of other af fections, as chronic ophthalmy, lippitudo, gutta serene, adhesion to the iris, &c. It comes on spontaneously, and the only mode of treatment is by a surgical opera tion; the lens may be taken out of the eye by a cut in the cornea, or it may be moved backwards and downwards in the vitreous humour, so as to be 'removed from the axis of vision; the former ope ration is called extraction, and the latter couching. A favourable case for the ope ration is where the eye retains its sensi bility to light ; where there is no head ach nor ophthalmy ; no adhesion to the iris. If amaurosis accompany the cataract, the operation would be of no use.