title: Use of Traditional Eye Medicines by corneal ulcer patients presenting to a hospital in South India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the nature and frequency of use of Traditional Eye Medicine (TEM) for corneal ulcer in patients from predominantly rural background.
  
  
  METHODS
  We documented the the use of TEM by corneal ulcer patients presenting to a tertiary eye-care centre in South India during two months of 1996.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 283 patients enrolled in the study, 135 (47.7%) of the patients used TEM. There was no difference with regard to age and sex distribution of patients using TEM and those who did. Patients with history of trauma were more likely to use TEM. Common forms of TEM used were human breast milk 61(45.2%), leafy matter 40(29.6%), castor oil 16 (11.9%), and hen's blood 8 (5.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though the awareness of intraocular lens implantation for cataract surgery is very high in this segment of the population, it is still tragic that an awareness of primary eye care following trauma has not been created. Health education is mandatory to prevent this avoidable cause of blindness.
authors.affiliation: Aravind Eye Hospital and Post-Graduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai, India.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Prajna
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Manimegalai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population