In 1929 Sabatzky1 claimed to have found in methyl salicylate almost a specific remedy for abrasions, ulcers and opacities of the cornea. His method was as follows :
After anesthetization of the eye with cocaine hydrochloride, the foreign body or unhealthy tissue, as the case might be, was scraped off, and a small drop of methyl salicylate was gently rubbed in with a small glass rod. An ointment containing cocaine was then applied, and the eye was covered. Except for the scraping, the treatment was repeated daily until healing was complete. Sabatzky claimed that for years he has been obtaining practically transparent smooth corneas in cases of corneal foreign body, abrasions and ordinary ulcers, and this induced him to try the method in cases of ulcus serpens. The treatment is the same as that previously described, except that the scraped area is treated with a 1 per cent solution of