Cause.—­Styes usually run their course in a few days or a week; another frequently follows.  When it does not reach the pus stage, it often leaves a hard swelling (blind stye).

[Eye and ear 349]

Mother’s remedy. 1.  Stye.—­Home Method to Kill.—­“To hasten the pointing of a stye apply hot compresses for fifteen minutes every two hours.  As ill health may be the cause, a tonic may be needed; glasses properly fitted should be worn and a boric acid eyewash used until long after the stye has disappeared.”  Applying hot compresses will relieve the congestion and gives much relief.  Ill health produces a poor circulation of the blood and a good tonic will be found beneficial.  Styes are frequently produced by need of glasses.

Treatment.—­Treat the stomach and system if necessary.  Ice or cold cloths against the stye may abort it.  If it goes on, hot fomentations will hasten it.  It should then be opened up and scraped out.  It will soon heal then and will not leave a lump.

Acute catarrhal conjunctivitis (Pink Eye).—­Definition.—­This is an acute inflammation of the mucous membranes under the eyelids, and there is congestion (too much blood), swelling and a discharge of mucus and pus.

Causes.—­Exposure to wind, dust, smoke, or irritating foreign substance, cinder, sand, etc.  It may occur in epidemic form and then is contagious and is called “pink eye.”

Symptoms.—­The lids appear stiff to the patient, the light causes discomfort and the patient fears it.  Burning feeling as if there was some dirt, etc., under the lid, not much pain, but discomfort especially in the evening.  The lids look swollen and red.  The conjunctiva on the cornea is reddened and that on the lid is thickened, reddened and rough.  The discharge collects at the roots of the lashes or lies on the conjunctiva.  The lids are stuck together in the morning.  The sight is slightly affected by the discharge on the cornea, which is otherwise clear.  Sometimes little (minute) ulcerations are seen.

Course.—­It may run into a chronic conjunctivitis.  One eye is usually attacked a few days before the other.  The first stage lasts a few hours or a day and then the discharge follows which may last a few days or a week or more.

Treatment.—­First:  Use gauze or cotton and dip in ice or cold water and apply to the eyelids.  A wash of hot water can be used to cleanse the eye or ten to sixty grains (one teaspoonful) of boric acid to an ounce of water can be used as a wash also.

The following remedies are good in combination as follows: 

Alum                  3 grains
Sulphate of Zinc      2 grains
Distilled Water       1 ounce

Mix and drop one drop into the eye two or three times daily.  A weak solution of tea can be used also as a wash.  Anoint the lids at night with white (tube) vaselin.

[350 Mothers’ remedies]