Synchronous movements of upper eyelid and lower jaw / by Simeon Snell.

  • Snell, Simeon, 1851-1909.
Date:
[1893]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Synchronous movements of upper eyelid and lower jaw / 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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    [Reprinted from the Sheffield Medical Journal,/o;' jftily, 1893.] SYNCHRONOUS MOVEMENTS OF UPPER EYELID AND LOWER JAW. BY SIMEON SNELL, F.R.C.S.Edin. Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Sheffield General Infirmary, Consulting Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Rotherham Hospital. John Redman, a labourer, aged 17, came to me in December, 1892. He sought advice because of his attention having been directed to the condition to be now described. About thirteen months before he first became aware that the left upper eyelid worked up and down, whilst he was eating. This was at first observed by a friend, who mentioned it to him. He is not himself conscious of any movements except from seeing them in the looking-glass. He assigns no cause for the condition except that shortly before his friend noticed the lid- movements, he had been caught in the corner of the eyelid, and the lid had been rendered black for a week ; but the injury appears to have been very trifling, and has, there can be no doubt, no relation to the affection. He says that he noticed, about the same time as he did the lid movements, that there was some droop- ing of the eyelid, but there is no question that the slight ptosis and the lid movements have been existent throughout his life. He has never noticed anything wrong with the right eye. He has a good family history, and has always enjoyed excellent health. There has not been any member of his family as far as he knows who has been afflicted with ptosis or other eye trouble. His condition has not altered since it first attracted his attention. There is now slight ptosis of the left side. It is sufflcient to be noticed on looking direct at the patient. The left upper lid comes distinctly over the edge of the pupil; on the right it covers none of it. The curious point to note, however, is that the movements of the left upper eyelid are associated with the motions of the lower jaw. Thus on moving the jaw to the right, and using the left external pterygoid, the left eyelid is distinctly jerked upwards to as much as from -| to ^ of an inch, and it drops again as soon as the jaw is brought back again to left. On opening the mouth the same thing happens : on closing it the lid drops. In ordinary talking the movement is not noticed. On protruding the jaw, the same phenomena occur. The action of the upper eyelid is most marked, however, on turning the eyes down- wards, and then whilst they are thus directed, moving the jaw to the right; the left upper eyelid is seen then to be very distinctly drawn up and exposes the white sclerotic above the cornea, the right lid meanwhile remaining quite steadily covering its eyeball. When the