Atlas of the external diseases of the eye : including a brief treatise on the pathology and treatment / by O. Haab ; Authorized translation from the German, edited by G.E. de Schweinitz.

  • Haab O. (Otto), 1850-1931.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Atlas of the external diseases of the eye : including a brief treatise on the pathology and treatment / by O. Haab ; Authorized translation from the German, edited by G.E. de Schweinitz. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    resolution, tlie secretions of blood and serum frlve place to a more and more purulent discharge, the ulcers in the con- junctiva heal, and the resulting cicatricial contraction may ])roduce entroj)ion. The greater the intensity of the dij)h- theritic or croupous inflammation the more abundant the discharge of pus in the second stage, so that the latter is sometimes spoken of as the gonorrheal stage. Diagnosis.—Now that the di])htheria-bacilliis is known, the diagnosis ])resents less difficulties than for- merly. The diphtheritic nature of croupous conjuncti- vitis, first demonstrated by bacteriologic methods, is clin- ically confirmed by the observation that sim])le laryngeal diphtheria may be contracted from a patient suffering from diphtheritic conjunctivitis. In addition, bacteriol- ogy teaches us that other pathogenic microorganisms, .such as staphi/loGocci, pneumococci, and especially dreptococci, are capable of producing both the superficial, pseudo- membranous, and the deep, necrotic form of conjunctivitis. Staphylococci and streptococci are nearly always found associated with the diphtheritic bacillus. The Ernst- Neis.ser method of staining affords the readie.st means of testing: the virulence of the bacilli found. The fact that fibrinous deposits and suspicious areas are .sometimes seen in gonorrheal conjunctivitis renders a bacteriologic examination imperative. The prognosis depends on the severity of the inflam- matory process. It is materially better since the introduc- tion of diphtheria-antitoxin, except when streptococci form the principal exciting cause, as the.se microorganisms appear to be specially dangerous to the cornea. If exten- sive sloughing of the cornea has set in, even antitoxin is unable to stay the ]n*ocess. Treatment.—Subcutaneous injections of Behring’s diphtheria-antitoxin should be practised as early as pos- sible. In light cases .scrupulous clcanline.ss is usually all that is needed. In the gonorrheal stage painting with a 1-2 per cent, solution of silver nitrate is indicated. Cold compresses may be used with some advantage in the