A practical treatise on the diseases of the eye / [John Vetch].

  • John Vetch
Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A practical treatise on the diseases of the eye / [John Vetch]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    190/300 page 172
    Whether, therefore, the cause of ophthalmia exist in some spontaneous change in the state of the atmosphere, or in the immediate effect of its vitia- tion by over crowding individuals together, this conclusion is certain, that from a number of people so crowded, especially in their dormitories, the’con- stitution is rendered more disposed to be acted upon by the exciting cause, whether natural or thus engendered. Of many hundred cases of epidemic ophthalmia, it is seldom that one occurs in which actual ,puru- lency takes place, though certainly out of a great number the disease will occasionally take on the purulent action, and most probably will give a greater severity to cases receiving the infection from this aggravation of its form. Such I con- ceive to be the nature of most ophthalmias that have appeared in seminaries.. In the year 1810, an ophthalmia prevailed among the troops in the barracks of Portsmouth, Siiheaat and Portsea ; while the men in barracks on the Gosport side of the harbour had nota singlecase. Some of them were mistaken for the more virulent disease, and sent under my care ; and afforded me an oppor- tunity of pointing out to my assistants the dif- ference in the two diseases. At present, I speak only of the disease, as produced in individuals otherwise healthy ; the crowding of sick together produces more violent and specific forms of dis-
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