Two cases of acetic acid burns of the cornea.

GLACIAL acetic acid, though extensively used in manufacturing processes, is not commonly seen as a cause of chemical burns of the eye. Two cases which have been seen recently are thought to be of sufficient interest to warrant description, there being little reference to such injuries in the literature. In both cases glacial acetic acid was put by mistake into the eye by the patient, instead of drops that were prescribed for treatment of an eye condition. In both cases the chemical was washed out of the eye immediately with tap-water and the reaction has been identical. They are, therefore, considered to give some indication of the course likely to be taken by an injury caused by a concentrated solution of this substance.