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Ulcers of the Cornea.Ulceration of the cornea is always accompanied by extreme sensitiveness to light. So great is this susceptibility that the child frequently shuns the sunlight, cannot be persuaded to go out and play, and may even keep the head buried in a pillow or the eye covered with the hand. The ulcer begins as a slight cloudiness or haziness of the cornea, which is soon found to surround a little hollow. This hollow is the ulcer. It sometimes remains quite limited in extent, and at other times spreads so as to acquire a diameter of a quarter of an inch or more. The haziness around the margin of the ulcer increases so as to constitute at times a considerable impairment of vision ; for the cornea is of course more or less opaque, and does not permit the light to pass through it. There is always some increase in the secretion of the eye, and the entire mucous membrane of the eye seems red and irritable. The course and result of this affection varies much with the cause and the condition of the patient. In the most favorable cases the ulcers heal in the course of a few weeks under appropriate treatment, leaving only a minute white speck at the site of the ulceration. In less favorable cases the ulcers resist treatment for weeks, or even months, though finally healing. In the worst cases the ulcer eats through the cornea, so that the watery fluid in the front part of the eye escapes through the opening. As a result of this the colored ring of the eye-the iris-lies in contact with the cornea, and is apt to grow fast to the edge of the ulcer. If this occurs there may result most serious difficulty, and even permanent impairment of vision. Treatment.-In every case in which an ulcer of the cornea occurs without injury to the eye, or without a previous severe inflammation, the fault is to be sought in the impaired health of the patient. Hence the treatment will be directed, first of all, to the improvement of the general health. Many of the children are decidedly scrofulous ; they need the best possible care n the way of food, recreation, air and exercise ; their strength should also be built up by the use of cod-liver oil and of the syrup of the iodide of iron. Directions for the administration of these drugs have been iven in previous pages. The local treatment consists in means for relieving the sensitiveness to light and for favoring the healing of the ulcer. For the first purpose it will be well to put into the eye every day two or three drops of the following solution : Atropia, - - - - - - Two grains. Distilled water, ----- One ounce. In order to promote the healing of the ulcer, it is advisable in many cases to dust into the eye some powdered calomel. This is done by taking a dry camel's hair brush, dipping it into the powder, and then adroitly shaking it between the lids, which are meanwhile held apart by the fingers of the other hand. Instead of the powdered calomel we may use an ointment containing the yellow oxide of mercury : Yellow ointment of mercury, - - One ounce. Vaseline, ------ One ounce. Mix and apply a piece as large as a pea between the lids at the angle of the eye. The movements of the lid will cause this to spread over the eye and reach the ulcer. It is highly important that no substance containing lead should come in contact with the eye when there is an ulcer on the cornea; for the lead is deposited in and around the ulcer, making an unsightly mass which it is extremely difficult to remove. Hence no eyewater should be used in a case of this sort without knowing that it is free from lead. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid the socalled eyewaters which are kept on sale in the drug stores. If the white speck which is left after the healing of an ulcer be located just in front of the pupil, it constitutes a permanent impairment of sight, which cannot be remedied by any known means. If it be located on the other hand somewhere near the edge of the cornea, it need not interfere seriously with the sight of the eye. But in every case the white speck constitutes a deformity, which attracts notice from its prominent position. This spot can be concealed, to a great extent, by tattooing with India ink. By this means the appearance of the eye is very much improved, though the impediment of vision, whatever it may amount to, remains undiminished. 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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