IRI'TIS is the term applied to inflammation of the iris. See Elm. The cavity across which the iris is stretched, and the iris itself, which projects into that cavity, and divides it into an anterior and a posterior chamber, are lined or invested by a membrane s‘ hich resembles the larger serous membranes of the body, such as the pleura, peritoneum, etc., and consequently the inflammation of this membrane is of the adhesive kind. See INFLAMMATION. When it is added that the effusion of lymph may limit or entirely stop the movements of the iris, and may alter the form or even close up the aperture of the pupil, the serious nature of the disease will be at once perceived.
The objective symptoms of iritis (those which can be observed by the physician) are: 1. Redness of the eye, arising from vascularity of the sclerotic; 2. Change in the color of the iris. When lymph is effused in the texture of the iris, a gray or blue eye is ren dered yellowish or greenish, while in a dark eye a reddish tint is produced. The bril liancy of the color of the iris also disappears. When the inflammation is very violent, or has been unchecked by remedies, suppuration may take place. 3. Irregularity and sometimes immobility of the pupil, produced by the adhesion of the back of the iris to the crystalline lens. The subjective symptoms (those of which the patient alone is con scious) are intolerance of light, dimness of vision, and pain in and around the eye.
The causes of iritis are various. The disease may arise from actual injury in sur gical operations performed on the eye; from over-exertion, and too prolonged continu ous use of the eye (thus it is common among needlewomen, engravers, and watch makers); or from some constitutional taint, especially syphilis, gout, rheumatism, and scrofula.
The treatment of iritis varies to some extent according to the cause which induces it, but the great remedies are three. 1. for. the purpose of moderiding the febrile disturbance, and of facilitating the operation of the second remedy, which is, 2. Jfercury, which used to be given in large doses (such as two, three, or four grains, with a little opium, every four or six hours), but which is preferably given in small doses, such as two or three grains of hydrarg. c. creta, with a little hyoseyanms, two or three times in the 24 hours. This dose should be lessened as soon as the mouth begins to be tender, and by that time the lymph will be•found to break up, and leave the pupil clear. S. Belladonna. The pupil should be kept well dilated by the application of the extract of belladonna to the skin round the eye, or, far better, by the instillation into the eye of a weak solution of sulphate of atrophic, with the view of preventing adhe sion of the iris, or of breaking, or, at all events, of stretching and elongating any adhe sive bands that may be formed; and thus of preventing any impairment of the move ments of the iris, and any irregularity of the pupil after the inflammation shall have abated.