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Home Medical and Vet Remedies, as Recommended by 19th and 20th century Doctors and Vets! |
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Home Medical and Vet Remedies, as Recommended by 19th and 20th century Doctors and Vets! |
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Inflammation Around the Eyelashes.The hair follicles of the eyelashes are also subject to a slow and obstinate sort of inflammation, constituting an affection which is technically termed tinea tarsi. This affection is more common among children than among adults. It begins with a redness and irritability of the edges of the lids ; there occurs an increased secretion from the follicles of the eyelashes, which accumulates during the night especially, and gums the lids together so that they are separated with difficulty in the morning. The effort to pull the lids apart usually results in pulling out several lashes. After the disease has lasted a few weeks the discharge contains matter, and dries into scabs which stick to the edges of the lids and surround the lashes. Pimples form around the lashes, and when they break there remain slight ulcers which are soon covered with yellow crusts. In a short time the lashes fall out, and the edges of the lids become thick, rounded, and turned away from the eye-everted. The result of this change in the shape and position of the edges of the eyelids is, that the minute canals through which the tears escape into the nose, are turned away from the globe. Hence the natural moisture of the eyes no longer escapes through the usual channel into the nostrils, but flows over the edge of the lower lids onto the cheeks. This occasions the patient great annoyance, since the skin below the eyes is constantly moist, and the individual seems to be continually crying ; moreover, the irritation of the skin caused by the constant moisture results oftentimes in the production of soreness and rawness. This disease may occur in all classes of society, but is especially frequent among the poor and ill-fed. It is also common as a sequel of several of the infectious diseases, especially scarlet fever, measles, and whooping cough. One of the worst features of this complaint is the tendency to recur. After it has been once cured the patient is apt to suffer from it again at intervals. Treatment.-The first consideration of treatment is to put the patient in the best possible condition for health. He frequently needs tonics, exercise and recreation as much as if he were suffering from some severe constitutional disturbance. For this purpose we may order one of the following prescriptions : Extract of cinchona, - Twenty grains. Extract of nux vomica, - Four grains. Reduced iron, ----- Ten grains. Mix and make twenty pills; take one before meals. Or the following may be given : Dilute nitro-muriatic acid, - - Six drachms. Compound tincture of cinchona, - Two ounces. Water to make four ounces. Take a teaspoonful before meals. In the local treatment of the eyelashes, one of the most important elements is cleanliness. The edges of the lids should be bathed with warm water three or four times a day, or oftener if necessary, to keep them perfectly clean ; at night after washing the lids, the edges should be smeared with the following ointment: Ointment of the nitrate of mercury, - Fifty grains. Vaseline, - Half an ounce. This may be allowed to remain during the night, and washed off in the morning ; after washing, the following lotion may be applied: Alum, - - - - - - Four grains. Sulphate of zinc, - Two grains. Water, ------ Two ounces. If there be much discharge, this lotion may be applied several times during the day also. If the lashes be long, they should be trimmed closely with scissors, in order that they may be kept clean more readily, and that the ointment may penetrate well into the hair follicles. In mild cases, this plan of treatment will be sufficient to effect a cure in about two weeks. But if there be ulcerations and pimples containing matter around the lashes, it will be well to apply every morning after washing the lids the following solution: Nitrate of silver, - Ten grains. Water, - - One ounce. A soft camel's hair brush should be dipped into this solution and then applied to the little ulcers at the roots of the hairs. If this does not suffice to prevent further ulceration, the sore places may be touched with a pointed stick of the nitrate of silver. In using this nitrate of silver, care should be taken that the point touches only the raw spots and is not smeared over the healthy skin. This should not be done more than two or three times a week. When the edge of the lid is raw and ulcerated between the hairs, as well as around them, we may apply a lotion containing boracic acid: Borax, ------ One drachm. Lead water, ----- Four drachms. Glycerine, ----- Two ounces. Water, ------ Two ounces. But first, if you want to come back to this web site again, just add it to your bookmarks or favorites now! Then you'll find it easy! Also, please consider sharing our helpful website with your online friends.
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