On paralytic, neuralgic, and other nervous diseases of the eye / [Arthur Jacob].

  • Arthur Jacob
Date:
[1841]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On paralytic, neuralgic, and other nervous diseases of the eye / [Arthur Jacob]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ened inquiry, that I cannot at all undertake to do jus¬ tice to it here. I have not observed sudden abolition of the functions of the fifth nerve indicated by loss of sensibility, impaired vision, neuralgia, or destructive inflammation, neither have I been able to discover such cases in the books; but examples of this form of disease coming on slowly, and accompanied by symptoms of cerebral disorganization are not very uncommon. The nature and amount of the influence exercised by the fifth nerve on the functions of the eye still, however, remains to be determined. That the sensibility of the organ is derived from it cannot now be denied; but how far perfect vision depends on it, or how far the sight is impaired by injury or destruction of it, is not settled. The experiments made on living animals, to determine the point, are, as I have said, of little value ; and the eye is so soon attacked with destructive inflammation, when the nerve suffers from disease, that the previous condi¬ tion of it, as to vision, cannot be ascertained. Even when blindness accompanies complete loss of sensi¬ bility, we cannot positively say that it is from disease of the fifth alone ; the optic may be involved in the mischief. It is much to be regretted that the deter¬ mination of this point, so interesting and important in a physiological point of view, has been so much overlooked in those cases where it might have been ascertained. In many instances of complete loss of sensibility, and where the eje has not yet been in¬ jured by inflammation, the state of vision is not al¬ luded to. In one, however, a man of the name of Windsor, recorded by Sir Charles Bell, the requisite information is afforded. This man, in consequence of injury of the head, had dreadfully severe pain of the forehead and cheek, giddiness, hemiplegia, and paralysis of the levator palpebrce superioris, and all the muscles of the eye. The surface of the eye was quite insensible to touch, yet he retained vision in it during many months, although the pupil was dilated. Some time after, (the precise period is not stated,) vi¬ sion was almost entirely lost, as well as the hearing of the same side, and the muscles of the face became paralyzed. Here, then, do we find vision at first re¬ maining, although, the third, fifth, and sixth nerves are injured or destroyed, and not materially impaired until the disease extends and involves the optic nerves.
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