Inflammation of the eye of newly born (ophthalmia neonatorum).—­This is a severe inflammation of the conjunctiva in the new born infant, usually due to a discharge from the mother and it is characterized by a discharge of pus.

Causes.—­Mild cases may come from a less violent form of infection from the mother’s discharge from the vagina, or from outside causes.  The majority of the severe cases is due to a poison (the gonococcus infection).

Symptoms.—­The first symptoms are swelling and redness, usually of both eyes, usually occurring a few days after birth.  Soon the discharge appears and shortly becomes creamy pus, which runs from the eyes when the swollen lids are partly opened.  As the disease continues to advance, the membrane of the lid is thickened, red and velvety looking and the conjunctiva (membrane) in the eye is swollen, puffy and watery.

The disease may last from two to six weeks or longer.

If the pus is not cleaned from the eye, the cornea may look dim and ulcers may appear.  If the ulcer eats through the cornea the iris is apt to be caught in the opening and in the scar resulting from the ulcer.  The cornea may later bulge and protrude or the disease may involve the whole eye in an inflammation which may destroy it.

The result generally depends upon how soon treatment is begun.  If attended to early the great majority of cases recover.  It is serious to neglect early treatment for this disease.  It causes a great many cases of blindness and generally the cases are neglected too long.  Treatment must begin before the disease begins.  Immediately at the birth of the child, when if there is any poison in the eye due to a discharge in the mother’s vagina, it can be immediately cleansed.

Treatment preventive.  What to do first.—­As soon as the child is born and before its eyes are opened the discharges should be carefully wiped away from the lids with small squares of cotton or gauze, pieces wrung out of a weak solution, three per cent (three parts to one hundred of warm, boiled, water) of boric acid.  The eyes should not be exposed to the light.  At the first both the eyes should be bathed and the same piece of linen should not be used for both eyes.

As soon as any redness appears the eye should be frequently bathed with this warm, weak solution of boric acid and sometimes cold compresses should be used by taking squares of folded gauze or masses of absorbent cotton.  Take them cold from a block of ice and lay them over the eyes, and keep constantly changing to keep them cold.  This relieves the congestion and prevents a great amount of blood from flowing and settling (congestion) there.  When pus appears in the eye it should be cleansed every half hour at least.  You can do this by letting the solution run over it from a medicine dropper.  After being allowed to trickle from the outer to the inner angle (corner)