GOUND OR RHEUM

The kitten that my student, Shafiq is holding up has rheum covering the lower part of its right eye. In Malay and Chinese we refer to this as Tahi Mata or Excrement from the eyes. The English equivalent is rheum or gound.

Here is more info

Rheum (/ˈruːm/; from Greek: ῥεῦμα, rheuma, a flowing, rheum), also known as Gound is thin mucus naturally discharged as a watery substance from the eyes, nose ormouth during sleep (cf. mucopurulent discharge). Rheum dries and gathers as a crust in the corners of the eyes or mouth, on the eyelids, or under the nose. It is formed by a combination of mucus (in the case of the eyes, consisting of mucin discharged from the cornea or conjunctiva), nasal mucus, blood cells, skin cells, or dust. Rheum from the eyes is particularly common. Dried rheum is in common usage called sleep, e.g., to have sleep in one's eyes.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheum