The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-16

pairing the boys eyes one Of his assistants
had done the same for the rabbit
Sitting down behind the patient DIR. Co
mez introduced a speculum into the in
jured eye in order to obtain a good view
of the organ. AS the wound had par
TALLY healed and an unsightly scar was
present, he cut down into it and removed
some of the scar tissue leaving a sur
face OF about an eighth Of an inch in
diameter Strange to say, there was by
no means so much bleeding as might have
been expected. Besides, the wound was
kept free from blood by the second assis-
tant. who constantly wiped 1t with piece
OF cotton.
After the bleding had been stopped en-
tirely, piece of the rabbits coniunctiva,
corresponding in size to the bare spot on
the boys membrane. was carefully dis
sected, much caution being used not to
hruise 1t, so that its vitality might not
be impaired. Picking It up with two pairs
of tiny forCeps, DR.. Gomez laid IL upon
a piece Of sterih2ed cotton, which had
been heated to the temperature of the hui
man body. Then, with the most minute
exactness, he placed the patch upon the
bare spot upon the boys eye passing a
stitch through it at each end. He next
brought the edges Of the patch and the
membrane carefully together and glued
them in that position with collodion and
cotton fiber,
With deft fingers DR.. Gomez removed
the spectrum, brought the boys lids
Il
gauze soaked in bichloride of mercury
over the eye. He covered the gauze with
a layer of absorbent cotton, and over
that he placed bandage. A few minutes
later the influence of the ether passed off
and the boy was put to bed. The entire
operation occupied about forty minutes
This is only sample of hundreds of
operations which Dr.. Gomez and his
brother eye surgeons have performed
upon patients in this city in recent years
Conjunctival transportation is the most
delicate form Of skin grating known
to operative surgery. 1t is. peculiar to
ITSELF too, in that it always throws a
new light on the subject
Many New Workers have rabbit eyes.
That is to say. portions of the eyes Of
rabbits have been transplanted to their
eyes. The part that is transpianted in
every case is a piece Of the conjunctiva
the membrane that covers the front of
the eye and also the inner surface of the
lds-a thin, delicate, transparent mem
brane with a great many blood vessels
and Emphatic glands. 1t is attached
loosely TO the globe of the eye, the white
of which is plainly seen through. The
object of the conjunctiva is to supply
moisture, so that the lids can move over
the eyeballs without friction.
Many diseased conditions of the eye
cause the destruction of the conjunctiva
wholly or in part. a frequent cause is
the disease popularity known as granular
lids, which makes the conjunctiva shrink
up, destroys the glands, and thus depriVeS
the eye Of its usual amount OF moisture
Chronic conjunctivitus or Inflammation
Of the conjunctiva, which is more fire.
quently seen in advanced life, naturally
Injuries the membrane.
II a grain Of dust cinder or other for
eign matter gains entrance to the eve IL
irritates the conjunctiva and the glands
are stimulated to secrete moisture, and
in this way wash out the intruder But
II the conjunctiva is not in its normal con-
dition the natural irrigation is not ac-
complished and the foreign particle re-
mains TO give rise to further annoyance.
SO 1t is apparent that nobody can get
along comfortably without a good CON
junctival membrane Therefore il his
conjunctiva is injured so badly that II
cannot be healed otherwise the eve sur
geon will supply him with a new one As
nobody else is willing TO part with a patch
Of his conlunctiva to oblige even his most
upon some animal less selfish than came
to furnish new membrance to his pa
tent.