Saccharine saline injections in ophthalmic practice (sodium benzoyl-sulphonic) / by L. Webster Fox.

  • Fox, Lawrance Webster, 1853-1931.
Date:
1904
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Saccharine saline injections in ophthalmic practice (sodium benzoyl-sulphonic) / by L. Webster Fox. 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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    orbital cellular tissue, and thus aiding in restoring the circulation of the strangulated parts. “My own conclusion, based on observation of my own cases and a careful study of the literature of the subject, are that all reports of the beneficial effects of subconjunctival injections should be care- fully criticised and compared with the results obtained by other methods of treatment before accepting them as of any real value.” With this I hesitate to agree, as my personal experience during the last ten years, and especially the last five, with the sodium sac- charinate serves to fix the status of this form of therapeutics more favorably. That it is of value is, to my mind, beyond doubt; but the technic, as ordinarily employed, should be greatly modified. The mercurial injections employed by Darier and the strong saline solutions used by other ophthalmologists I have found to be decidedly irritating, and in this way serve to defeat their best pur- poses. While in Paris in 1892 I had the opportunity of observing Darier employ subconjunctival injections of corrosive sublimate and seeing the high-grade inflammatory reaction and pain that followed convinced me that this treatment was only applicable in very rare instances. Subsequently, while visiting the Eoyal In- firmary of Liverpool, I observed the same treatment in the hands of Mr. Bickerton, with similar results, to the extent that Mr. Bick- erton abandoned it. In October, 1892, I tried the treatment on five selected cases (two of iritis and three of specific choroiditis.) The alarming reaction in these cases discouraged my further use of the method. From 1898 I employed saline solutions, varying from normal salt solution to 30 per cent, solutions. The strong solutions produced considerable pain, and their results in my experience were very dis- appointing. After a prolonged trial with the various drugs advised for this form of medication, I have rejected them all and now re- strict myself to the use of the following solutions: R. Sodii saccharat., gr. v, x and xv. Aquae destil., § i. M. Sig.: For subconjunctival injection. As its advantages may be mentioned the absence of irritating and