[Report 1931] / School Medical Officer of Health, Lancashire County Council.

  • Lancashire (England). County Council.
Date:
1931
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1931] / School Medical Officer of Health, Lancashire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    89/100 (page 89)
    Dr. W. C. V. Brothwood contributes the following interesting account of Here¬ ditary Optic Atrophy as it occurred in a family :— Hereditary Optic Atrophy. The pedigree includes five generations, but only certain members of the third, fourth and fifth were seen. Information given about the first and second generations, however, appears to be quite reliable and was derived from several sources. There was no consanguinity. The table shows seven members affected by Hereditary Optic Atrophy. Six of these were examined. In addition iv. M.6 and M.7—the unaffected brothers of iv. M.5. were investigated ; ii. M.2 was not examined. The cases are so similar that no useful purpose would be attained by a separate description of each. They are, therefore, grouped together and described together under various headings. But where an individual shows some striking divergence from what appears to be the “normal” behaviour, a note is made. Occupation at Time of Onset. All worked in a mill. Two were weavers, two loomers and drawers, one was a mule-spinner, and there was one oiler. Habits. Prior to the onset of the disease, all the affected members of the family smoked Twist tobacco, the amount varying from 4 ozs. to £-oz. weekly. Inquiry into the amount of alcohol taken was not pushed too far. All that can be said is that some of the affected members did, and still do, take alcohol. In no case was there a history of a previous illness which could possibly cause any predisposition to an attack. Blood Pressure. The B.P. was rather above normal. Wassermann Reaction. This was negative in the only five cases in which it was taken. Age at Onset. With the exception of one individual, iii. M.2, the onset occurred before the age of 30 years. The ages were 24, 58, 27, 28,19 and 25 ; 25 was the age at which iv. M.5 started, therefore, it cannot be said that there is any ante-dating. Type of Onset. Except in one case (again iii. M.2) the onset was fairly sudden and the maximum disability in the longest was reached in a few weeks ; iii. M.3 says his sight went “almost in a. night ” ; iv. M.5 says “in four or five days.” iii. M.2 says it took six months for his eyes to reach their present state, and that previous to the onset he was short-sighted. Signs and Symptoms. There was considerable diminution in visual acuity. The best vision was that of iii. M.3, who had a bilateral 1/36 Snellen. Three others could only recognise fingers at a distance of under one yard. Central scotoma was prominent. Not one could read a newspaper or do any fine work. Mobility, however, was very good. In all cases the eyes reacted to light and accommodation. In two cases iii. M.l and iv. M.5 vision is diminished in a strong light. None of the affected members could distinguish colours. Any Associated Condition. None was observed. Two Unaffected Brothers of iv. M.5. The elder of these iv. M.6. is a weaver. He reads £ § Snellen, is emmetropic, his fundi are normal, and his systolic blood pressure is 120 mm.Hg. Colour vision is normal. The younger iv. M.7 is unemployed. He reads f and has a bilateral refractive error of -0-5 D.Sph. Both discs are normal and his systolic blood pressure is 116 mm.Hg.