Text book of veterinary medicine, Volume 3 (of 5)Law, James
Science
Text book of veterinary medicine, Volume 3 (of 5)
Law, James
Veterinary medicine
=Cornea.= By focusing the light in succession over the different parts
of the surface of the cornea, all inflammations, vascularities,
opacities, ulcers, and cicatrices will be shown and their outlines
clearly defined. By illuminating the deeper layers of the cornea proper,
the lesions of keratitis, opacities, ulcers and cicatrices will be
shown. To complete the examination of the cornea the light should be
focused upon the iris so that it may be reflected back through the
cornea. This will reveal the most minute blood-vessels, any cell
concretions on Descemet’s membrane, or any foreign body in the cornea
which may have been overlooked.
=Aqueous Humor.= Unless the cornea is densely opaque, the anterior
chamber can be satisfactorily explored by the oblique focal
illumination. The cloudiness or milkiness of iritis or choroiditis
furnishes a strong reflection from its free particles of floating
matter, its blood and pus globules, and its flocculi of fibrine. The
latter have usually a whitish reflection, the blood elements a red
(hypohæma), and the pus a yellow (hypopion). The writhing movements of a
filaria scarcely need this mode of diagnosis. Sometimes, and especially
in the horse, detached flocculi of black pigment are found floating free
in the aqueous and are highly characteristic.
By this illumination one can easily determine the distance of the cornea
from the iris and lens (depth of anterior chamber) which is lessened by
the forward displacement of iris and lens in undue tension in the
vitreous (glaucoma, retinitis, tumors, bladderworms), or of the iris
alone, in irido-choroiditis with accumulation of exudate in the
posterior chamber of the aqueous. The depth of the anterior chamber may
increase in cases of luxation or absence of the lens or softening and
atrophy of the vitreous.
The adhesion of the iris to the back of the cornea may be satisfactorily
demonstrated by focal illumination.
=Iris.= The lesions of the iris are exceedingly common in connection
with recurring ophthalmia in the horse, and examinations in the
intervals between attacks are of the greatest importance. The eye should
be examined as already stated, at a window or door, and if available by
the aid of a mirror. Any changes in form or color, or luster should be
carefully noted, any tension of the eyeball, or angularity of the upper
lid, and any slight blue opacity round the margin of the cornea. Then
the prompt or tardy response of iris and pupil to light and darkness
must be made out. To complete the test the eye should be treated with
homatropin for three-quarters of an hour and with cocaine for ten or
fifteen minutes, and then subjected to oblique focal illumination.
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