A report on the causes of blindness : and are the eyes of the offspring of the blind affected? Are their marriages fruitful? / by Simeon Snell.

  • Snell, Simeon, 1851-1909.
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report on the causes of blindness : and are the eyes of the offspring of the blind affected? Are their marriages fruitful? / by Simeon Snell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    under 15 years of age ; whilst at the Workshops are adults of aU age^y amongst whom, increased age, the causes of blindness from occupation or otherwise, have come into play, and necessarily have reduced the percentage. The number, out of the total of 111 at the two establish- ments, afflicted from this disease, is 38, or 34.2 per cent. A point which may be mentioned in passing, is the greater number of males blind from ophthalmia neonatorum than females. In the Blind School, the numbers are 17 males, 11 females; at the Work- shops, 7 males, and 3 females. The greater number of males among those generally under consideration may, of course, be held to account for this difference ; but does it do so altogether ? Among the last 78 cases of this disease registered at the Sheffield General Infirmary, it would seem that 42 were males and 36 females, again a dilference in favour of the male sex. Blennorrhcca in Adults or Subsequently to Infancy,—Three cases at the Workshops, or 7.9 per cent., would appear to come under this head, two males and one female. A female, aged now 31, suffered from the disease at 13, and has undergone operations (iridectomies ?) in both eyes without benefit. A male, aged 48, suffered from ophthal- mia in the East Indies as a soldier ; now there is corneal staphyloma and general symblepharon ; the right eye can see fingers. The other man, aged 36, states that he lost his sight from contagious ophthalmia at 8 years of age ; many other children suffered from the same disease at the time. The appearances of the eyes do not altogether bear this out. The case is one of interest. In February, 1877, he was under my care in the Infirmary. The cornea and the media were sufficiently- clear to enable a good view of the fundus to be obtained ; a whitish yellow-looking appearance was observed even without the ophthalmo- .^cope, but particularly with its aid. No vessels were traced over it, but its surface was irregular. The diagnosis su-.'gested, of ossification of the choroid, was rendeied more likely by palpation of the globe. Towards its posterior part, it felt quite hard and solid when touched with the fingers. The eyeball was at times irritable and painful, and it was therefore enucleated. On the interior of the eye being ex- amined, it was found occupied by a large stout shell of bony deposit, thicker posteriorly, where was an aperture corresponding to the optic nerve entrance of the free, and thinner at its anterior edge. It reached to some little distance behind the ciliary processes. The condition of the left eye in June, 1885, was as follows :—There was a large leucoma, which, however, left a part of the pupil free ; there were myopia and large crescent; he had large pigmentary irregularities in the fundus (bony deposit), but view was difficult. Osseous deposit in an eye is frequently met with, but a case in which, during life, the media have remained clear, and for the con- dition to be diagnosed, is rare. Mention may be made of a case re- conled by Professor Liqueur, of Strasburg, in Knapp's Archives of Ophthalmology for 1878 (vol. vi). A diagnosis of osseous deposit was made by the ophthalmoscope and by palpation, but enucleation waa not resorted to. In the Blind School two cases, where the eye was lost in early life, seem to come under this class. Both are males. One lost his sight at sixteen months, cutting his corner teeth, the other at eight months and a half. Sympathetic Ophthalmitis.—At the Blind School, there are six whose blindness may bo assigned to this disease, or 8 2 per cent. The ages at which the exciting eyes were injured were 12, 7, 14, 4, with a sub- sequent injury at 8 (probably the really exciting hurt), 11, 14. The injuries were caused in the following ways .• by a knitting needle, in one case ; blow from a stone, in one ; hit with a stick, in two ; a piece of pot, in one ; in one, also, after typhoid fever, in which the cornea was destroyed (hypopyon ulcer), an iredectomy was attempted.