A probationary surgical essay on cataract : submitted ... to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, ... / by James Keith.

  • Keith, James, 1783-1863
Date:
September 1810
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A probationary surgical essay on cataract : submitted ... to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, ... / by James Keith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    posed to strong light, are said to be very liable to this affection. Cataract has also been mentioned as arising from general affections of the body, as scrofula and sy¬ philis, but the examples of the disease arising from such habits of body are too limited to allow us to draw any general inference from them. But the knowledge of the exciting causes is not in this, as in most diseases, of importance in influencing our practice; for, with the exception of a few rare cases, a natural case, or by medical treatment, is not to be ex¬ pected in a completely formed Cataract, whatever may have been the cause of this affection. When recent, and accompanied with inflammation, when induced by external violence, or other causes *, the .most effectual means should be employed in subduing it; and afterwards, if the opacity still continues, trial may be made of stimulating local applications, such as elec¬ tricity *, the vapours of ether or ammonia, &c. In the use of internal remedies we have still less dependence: If the disease arises, as in some cases it may be supposed to do, from an increased action and subsequent deposi¬ tion from the vessels of the lens and its capsule, such sti¬ mulants as are known to increase the action of the ab¬ sorbent vessels may be employed : Along, therefore, with the external use of the stimulants already mentioned, mercury used internally may also be tried. Recourse has also been had to antimony, alkaline salts, different vege¬ tables * Medical Commentaries, vol. ix.
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