Ulceration of the cornea from the diplobacillus of Morax-Axenfeld / Hanford McKee.

  • McKee, Samuel Hanford, 1875-1943.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Ulceration of the cornea from the diplobacillus of Morax-Axenfeld / Hanford McKee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Case 3.—Adult female referred to me in February last. The • history was that she had a foreign body removed from the left cornea three days previously, but her eye was still “sore and pain- ful.” The condition of the left eye was as follows: In the lower outer quadrant of the left cornea was seen a small round ulcer; the cornea about ulcer was infiltrated, the iris was dull, pus in the anterior chamber covered the lower third of the iris. Photophobia was marked and the pain severe. With a keratome I removed a small portion of the pus from the surface of the ulcer and examined it. Diplobacilli were everywhere seen; diplobacilli were also ob- tained from each conjunctival sac. The eye was immediately irri- gated with a solution of zinc, 1/4 gi- to the ounce. Twenty-four hours later there was marked improvement, the eye was much quieter, pain and photophobia less. The eye continued to improve, and at the end of a week the ulcer was completely healed and the eye well. Vision equal IST. The patient was cautioned to continue ' with the drops for at least three weeks. Case 4.—A girl of 7 years with diplobacillary conjunctivitis. In the center of the right cornea was seen a small ulcer, photophobia i marked. Patient was put on instillations of zinc and within a ( week the corneal condition had completely cleared up. | Cases 5, 6 and 7 were very similar, all adults, laborers, each had ; a diplobacillary conjunctivitis and had been struck on the cornea with a foreign substance. Ulceration of the cornea followed, but in j ea,ch case the ulcers cleared up quickly under zinc sulphate. j In all these cases the same technique was followed. First the '1 ulcerated surface was stained with solution of fluorescin, then with | a keratome some of the pus from the surface of the ulcer was re- j moved, tubes of serum and agar were inoculated and smear prepa- ) rations were made. In all these cases the factor was the diplo- ^ bacillus of Morax-Axenfeld. These cases offer many points of interest. Cases 1 and 2 were severe serpiginous ulcers of the J cornea. Case 1 did not improve even after the cornea had been ^ cauterized and antiseptics used, and only after the instillation of a ■; weak solution of the sulphate of zinc did the tve show any sign of i improvement. Case 2 was a splendid result obtained by very sim- ^ pie treatment. j Cases 3, 5, 6 and 7 show what diplobacilli, and probably many j