In anthrax, malignant œdema, disease of heart, kidney or liver,
distomatosis, trichiniasis, wasp stings, urticaria, petechial fever.
Treatment: correct general disorder, remove local irritant, antiseptic
astringents.
An œdematous condition of the eyelids with or without inflammatory
conditions may be due to local disease or it may be the result of more
general disorder. In anthrax districts any of the herbivora, but
especially cattle and sheep, are liable to a diffuse anthrax of the
eyelid with a special petechial or brownish condition of the palpebral
conjunctiva. Malignant œdema and other local bacteridian affections
affect the loose textures of the eyelid in a similar manner, but with
extrication of gas and crackling under pressure. Such cases are
complicated by local inflammation. When in the absence of inflammation
the lids pit on pressure, one should seek for some disease of the heart,
kidney or liver, also for indications of similar dropsical effusions in
other parts of the body. Distomatosis and, to a less extent, pulmonary
and duodenal strongylosis are especially common factors in sheep. In
distomatosis (liver rot) a simultaneous dropsy is often present in the
intermaxillary space, the chest or the abdomen. The puffiness of the eye
is especially marked in the palpebral conjunctiva, and is exposed by
everting the eyelid over the tip of the finger. In trichinosis in man
and less frequently in swine, dropsy of the eyelid is often present at
the end of the first week. Other swellings of the lids partaking more of
the nature of inflammation, result from the stings of wasps, hornets and
other insects, from urticaria (in horses especially) and from petechial
fever in solipeds.
In _treating_ such cases the general disorder, if present, must be first
attended to, then the removal of any local irritant, and finally the
antagonizing of any local inflammation or infection. Astringent and
antiseptic lotions are especially called for.