Official papers relating to operations performed by order of the directors of the Royal Hospital for Seamen, at Greenwich, on several of the pensioners belonging thereto, for the purpose of ascertaining the general efficacy of the new modes of treatment practised by Mr. Adams, for the cure of the various species of cataract, and the Egyptian ophthalmia.

  • Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich.
Date:
1814
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Official papers relating to operations performed by order of the directors of the Royal Hospital for Seamen, at Greenwich, on several of the pensioners belonging thereto, for the purpose of ascertaining the general efficacy of the new modes of treatment practised by Mr. Adams, for the cure of the various species of cataract, and the Egyptian ophthalmia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the Royal Hospital, the great disparity in which cannot fail to nriake a strong impression on the minds of the Honourable Members of the Board. In order to bring them equally acquainted with the extent of the failures in extracting the Cataract, as formerly practised, as well as with the great suc- cess of Mr. Adamses improved modes of curing that Disease, we have given a detailed description of the result of each, with the present state of the Eyes which have been submitted to the trial of the two Systems. The proportion of Eyes totally destroyed by the operation of extraction amounts to one-half the number operated upon; to this the success of Mr. Adams, more particularly in the cases which had been considered incurable, as well as those previously operated upon without benefit, forms a very striking contrast, as it will be seen that his operations have failed but in one instance. To enable the Board fully to appreciate this success, we think it proper to point out, that even in the men whose vision is not at all, or but partialljs benefited (with the exception of Ford), the ope- rations were as perfectly executed as on those whose sight is completely restored. To the disease of the Optic Nerve, therefore, and not to the failure of the operation (as was the case where extraction had been formerly performed), is to be