or permanent detrimental effect on the eye to which it is administered examples of opthalmically acceptable carriers include water distilled or deionized water saline and other aqueous media in accordance with the invention the active compounds are preferably soluble in the carrier which is employed for their administration so that the active compounds are administered to the eye in the form of a solution alternatively a suspension of the active compound or compounds or salts thereof in a suitable carrier may also be employed in accordance with the invention the active compounds or mixtures or salts thereof are administered in an ophthalmically acceptable carrier in sufficient concentration so as to deliver an effective amount of the active compound or compounds to the optic nerve site of the eye preferably the ophthalmic therapeutic solutions contain one or more of the active compounds in a concentration range of approximately 0 0001 to approximately 1 weight by volume and more preferably approximately 0 0005 to approximately 0 1 weight by volume any method of administering drugs to the retinal ganglion cell site of a mammalian eye may be employed to administer in accordance with the present invention the active compound or compounds to the eye to be treated by the term u201c administering u201d is meant to include those general systemic drug administration modes e g injection directly into the patient 39 s blood vessels oral administration and the like which result in the compound or compounds being systemically available also intercameral injection may be utilized to delver the reverse mode na ca 2 exchange inhibitor to the retinal ganglion cell site the primary effect on the mammal resulting.