On the anomalies on accommodation and refraction of the eye : with a preliminary essay on physiological dioptrics / by F. C. Donders ; translated from the author's manuscript by William Daniel Moore.

  • Donders, F. C. (Franciscus Cornelis), 1818-1889.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the anomalies on accommodation and refraction of the eye : with a preliminary essay on physiological dioptrics / by F. C. Donders ; translated from the author's manuscript by William Daniel Moore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

    217/304 (page 199)
    time been unable to continue working, in consequence of rapidly- increasing pain in the eyes, which are also permanently sensitive. I found myopia of 1/2-7, somewhat stronger still in the left eye; more- over, capillary hyperaemia of the optic disc; at its outside a perfectly atrophic, white, sharply-defined crescent, 0.8 mm. broad in the transverse direction (the axis), straightened retinal vessels, no trace of chorioiditis, rather small pupil, easy convergence of the visual lines up to 2 1/2 (he then also read binocularly), scarcely any subconjunctival injection, no prominence of the eyes, eyelids healthy, but a tendency to approximate them, not merely in order to see better, but also on account of some intolerance of light. He showed me spectacles of— 1 /g, which he had worn, and had also used at work, but by the advice of others, he had afterwards laid them aside, and he had since not got on better. The acuteness of vision amounted to only 13/20. This latter circumstance chiefly induced me to prescribe a Heurteloupian ab- straction of blood* from both temples, and to make him remain for twenty-four hours afterwards in the dark. After gradual transition to the light, the degree of myopia was again, with the aid of glasses, determined in the most accurate manner, and was found =1/3-4; at the same time the acuteness of vision had increased to 17/20. Instilla- tion of sulphate of atropia now brought the myopia to 1/3-7. The patient was still kept some days in a half-darkened apartment; subsequently the double abstraction of blood was again had recourse to, and the hygienic rules which have already been repeatedly mentioned, were strictly enjoined. Thus at the end of a month the acuteness of vision had risen to 18/20, and the myopia was established as 1/3-6. He now got spectacles of— 1/5, both to wear and also in order occasionally to read and write for a quarter of an hour, which could thus be done at the distance of about 10, and therefore must be done. From time to time slight attacks of pain still occurred, which disappeared on strict rest. The spectacles were subsequently strenghtened to — i/4*5- These glasses, held close to the eye, brought the farthest point to 14, which was quite sufficient. The occurrence of fatigue during work indicates the existence of insufficiency of the musculi recti interni. VII. Miss v. R., aged 18, had for some years been constantly obliged to suspend her work, in consequence of a feeling of fatigue and tension. She has in vain tried various spectacles. I establish M = 1/7, S = 1, with the ordinary crescentic atrophy; the eyes are otherwise sound and the eyelids healthy. I suspect insufficiency of the recti interni. While she *Heurteloupian abstraction of blood is accomplished by means of an artificial leech making a circular wound, and yielding much blood on exhaustion by means of a glass cylinder. (The instrument is to be had at Luer's, Paris. Its price is fifty francs.)