Diseases of the eye / by M. Stephen Mayou.

  • Mayou, M. Stephen.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Diseases of the eye / by M. Stephen Mayou. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

    103/418 (page 85)
    Conjunctival false membranes are not at aU infrequent in infants, and are not necessarily of of diphtheritic origin. Treatment.—Prophylaxis plays a most important part in the prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum. Crede, who introduced the method known by his name, reduced the percentage of ophthalmia neona- torum in the Leipzig Lying-in Asylum from 10-8 to 1 per cent. The method now most commonly adopted is in every case to wipe the eyelids directly the child's head is born, then as soon after birth as possible the eyes are washed out with a solution of 1-2,000 per- chloride of mercury. If the mother is known to have had a vaginal discharge before birth, douches should be given before rupture of the membranes and in addition to the use of the perclaloride of mercury, silver nitrate, 2 per cent., should be instilled into the eyes, and subsequently neutralized with salt solution, as infants at birth have no lachrymal secretion. There can be no doubt that the sheet anchor of the treatment is nitrate of silver. In cases of any severity, a 2 per cent, solution is painted once daily