Cataract, and its treatment, comprising an easy mode of dividing the cornea for its extraction, and appropriate means for removing the different forms of that affection / by John Scott.

Scott, John, 1798-1846.

Date:: 1843

Credit: Cataract, and its treatment, comprising an easy mode of dividing the cornea for its extraction, and appropriate means for removing the different forms of that affection / by John Scott. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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$with the left, whereby he will also secure the advantages of making the upper section, and of commanding the upper eyehd himself, advantages that must be experienced to be duly appreciated. The section of the cornea being thus completed, the next ])oint is to lacerate the capsule, and if the eye be irritable it is advisable to pause a moment before doing this, but if not it may be done immediately. For this purpose, the eyelid being elevated by pressing it against the brow, and carefully avoiding any pressm-e on the globe, the curette is to be introduced under the flap of the cornea into the anterior chamber, with its convex side forwards, until it reaches the pupil; the point is then to be tui-ned against the centre of the capsule, which is to be lacerated by a slight transverse movement of it, and the cui-ette is then to be with- drawn with its convex side forwards. If from any accident the capsule be not thus freely lacerated, when pressure is made on the globe for the extraction of the lens, it will be thrust forward together with the iris, but will not be tilted through the pupil: that this arises from its confinement within the capsule, and not from adhesion of the fibres of the iris, is obvious from the fact that the pupil becomes at the same time considerably dilated. Any spasm that may have been produced by the introduction of the curette being allowed to subside, and the eye being shaded to allow the pupil to dilate, the eyelids are to be again unclosed, the silver end of the curette is to be placed transversely across the surface of the lower eyelid, and the globe compressed \nth it just at the margin of the sclerotic coat, the fore-finger of the other hand making pressm-e at the same time on the upper mar- gin of the sclerotic coat; in this manner the lens is tilted edge- ways forward against the iris, it mechanically stretches open the pupil, and passing through it, escapes at the section of the cornea. In this part of the operation it is necessaiy to take care that the pressm-e is confined to the anterior part of the eye, which is to be compressed just behind the margin of the lens so as to dislodge it from the capsule and to tilt it forward through the pupil; if the whole globe of the eye be pressed backwards into the orbit, the escape of the vitreous humour will be endangered instead of the protrusion of the lens taking place.$