The success that I have had with a specific form of treatment in phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis seems to justify a reconsideration of this much written about subject; also, the results may give convincing proof of the causation of the condition. The type of treatment that I shall discuss is not new, but, judging from the results obtained, it is too little used.
ETIOLOGY
I consider a tuberculous focus somewhere in the body as the underlying etiologic factor in phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis, and I consider phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis as a local manifestation of hypersensitiveness of the individual to tuberculin. This manifestation is of the nature of an eczema of the cornea and conjunctiva, and tuberculin is the specific protein or substance to which hypersensitiveness has developed.Further discussion of the etiology will appear later.
DIAGNOSIS
The fact that so many different diseases of the eyes are occasionally diagnosed phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis indicates that the diagnosis