the distinction between 'r' and 'l'

In the Japanese character set which spells English words (katakana or カタカナ if you're slightly pretentious) there is a single line of r consonant-vowel combos (ra re ru re ro) which are used to spell both r's and l's. Example: Hah/ro = Hello, right/light, glass/grass, rice/lice, and iris/eyeless.

This particular distinction became of more pressing concern when I tried to use Lloyd's eyedrops a few minutes ago. Lloyd was "pretty sure" that the little bottle contained generic eyedrops his Japanese girlfriend, Kay, uses. "Great man, these overhead heaters dry my eyes out all winter". Dropping the solution onto my eyeball, however, it immediately started to sting.

I had used these new eyedrops when I was home over winter break in Seattle that burned briefly, then left my eyes feeling refreshed and new. One might say it changed the lens through which I saw the whole world. So maybe these were the Japanese version of those eyedrops.

Me: "Are these the Japanese version of those eyedrops that kind of burn then leave your eyes feeling fine?"
Lloyd: "Huh?"
Me: "Yeah, they're pretty new in America I think"
Lloyd: "I... don't know. Wait, huh. Are these eyedrops?"
Ken: "..."
Lloyd: "It's definitely medicine..."
Ken: "Well, that's good to know!"
Lloyd: "I can't tell what it... it either says "Iris" or "Ilis"... or "Eyeless""
Ken: "You mean these will either soothe the muscle regulating the amount of light entering my eye or completely burn away my eyeballs?"
Lloyd: "Not sure..."
Ken: "It's still burning"
Lloyd: "Let me call Kay real quick"
Ken: "Thanks"

To be safe I went ahead and rinsed out my eyes. Turns out they were normal eye drops, and my eyes feel great now. Sometimes it's hard to see these important distinctions clearly, when you still can't read after 18 months in a country.