Atlas of the external diseases of the eye : including a brief treatise on the pathology and treatment / by O. Haab ; Authorized translation from the German, edited by G.E. de Schweinitz.

  • Haab O. (Otto), 1850-1931.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Atlas of the external diseases of the eye : including a brief treatise on the pathology and treatment / by O. Haab ; Authorized translation from the German, edited by G.E. de Schweinitz. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    arc usually iuca])acitatc(l for Avork most of the time ; many of them become blind. Fortunately, its geographical distribution is limited. It occurs most frequently in Arabia and in Egypt ; in Europe* the iuhabitants of low-lying regions (Belgium, Holland, Hungary, the countries bordering on the lower Danube, and Italy) suifer most, the higher regions being exempt from the disease. The poorer classes are usually attacked. The subjective symptoms are essentially the same as those of catarrh. Ptosis is a more or less constant sym])- tom in the early stages and gives the patient a character- istic a])pearance. As the cornea becomes involved the discomfort of the patient increases, and if the pannus in- vades the pupil, vision is aflPected. The course varies widely, according to the severity of the process and its tendency to acute exacerbations or chronicity; the most unpleasant feature is the constant occurrence of relapses, even after recovery seems to be established, although they are partly due to the patient’s neglect in abandoning the treatment too soon. In some cases papillary granulations are more conspicuous; in others tlic follicular type preponderates; in a third class of cases the two forms are found associated. During the last stages cicatricial trachoma and its disastrous sequelae are often observed. The latter include entropion, trichi- asis, xerosis of the conjunctiva, connective-tissue change of the cornea, and, finally, a general devastation of the conjunctival cul-de-sac by .symblepharon. On the other hand, the pannus may disappear under appropriate treat- ment, and regenerati(m of the conjunctiva take place if cicatrization has not been too extensive. The cause of trachoma is a specific poison, the exact nature of which we do not know as yet, although specific microorganisms of trachoma have been described by more than one ob.servcr. Certain external conditions, such as crowded quarters, ])overty, bad air, and a low altitude, undoubtedly tend to foster the disorder. An interesting fact in connection with the relation of trachoma to alti-