Clinical studies on diseases of the eye including those of the conjunctiva, cornea, sclerotic, iris, and ciliary body / by Ferdinand Ritter von Arlt.

  • Arlt, Ferdinand, 1812-1887.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Clinical studies on diseases of the eye including those of the conjunctiva, cornea, sclerotic, iris, and ciliary body / by Ferdinand Ritter von Arlt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    specific gonorrhoea, is the most dangerous form, whether the virus be inoculated directly from the genitals or from an infected eye. But when infection of the other eye occurs in the retro- gressive stage of such a blennorrhcea we may expect the disease so induced to run a mild type. When within the first thirty-six or forty-eight hours after the infection a dense chemosis appears around the cornea, even if the ulcers be only marginal, there is very little hope of preserving a sufficient portion of the cornea for the future formation of an artificial pupil. This is also the case when only a relatively small portion of the cornea is de- stroyed, as far as Descemet's membrane, but when only a narrow marginal zone of the superficial layers is preserved. In chronic blennorrhcea the patient should be made to realize the long duration, which may extend from one month to several years, in spite of favorable conditions of life, correct manner of living and uninterrupted treatment; and he should also know the dangers which threaten the eye from the changes of the lids (ec- tropium, entropium, trichiasis), and of the cornea from pannus and its consequences. This is all the more necessary when there is reason to doubt a necessary perseverance and endurance of the patient. Treatment. {Indicat'io causa/is).—Should it unfortunately happen that gonorrhceal or blennorrhceal secretion gets into one's eye, it should be immediately washed out with cold water, and cold, or still better ice, compresses should be applied. The applications of chlorine water to the conjunctiva, a very dilute solution of carbolic acid, or a one per cent, solution of nitrate of silver may be also recommended. The application of ice may also be useful during the period of incubation, and even after a considerable increase of vascularity. The infection of the other eye, as well as the eyes of other persons, should be guarded against. If only one eye of a new-born child is affected, the infection of the other may possibly be prevented by allowing the child to rest only on the side of the diseased eye, all other precautions being also ob- served. A protective bandage cannot be applied, as in adults. In older children and in adults the other eye may be protected, after its healthy condition has been ascertained, by an hermetically- sealed bandage, applied as follows : The lids, being gently closed (as in sleep), are covered with fine court plaster or gold-beaters'