On the cure of strabismus / by Thomas Elliot.

Date:
[1841]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the cure of strabismus / by Thomas Elliot. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Remarks.— The continued inversion of the left eye in this case evidently depended on its indistinct vision, as it was nearly useless. The operation on the second and straight eye Avas undertaken in order to remove the mutual convergence, by depriving the motor nerves of their converging power. The power of inversion of both eyes after the operation was nearly natural, which might have been expected from the small size of the eyeballs. In a few days, there was a slight occasional inversion of the left eye, evidently made to prevent confusion of vision, as it was removed by closing the other eye, which did not become inverted in turn, as seen on raising its lid, when both eyes re- mained straight. By bandaging the right eye for two or three weeks, the vision of the left was much improved, and paral- lelism restored. Case IV. September 20.—John Dixon, aged 6. Very great inversion, and indistinct vision of left eye. Position of the eyes reversed on closing the right or straight one. Ab- duction of both good. Eyeballs large. Operation.—The left adductor was separated and divided. On uncovering the right eye, the left eye again turned in. A careful search with the blunt hook showed that all had been divided. On closing the right eye, and raising its lid, it was seen slightly inverted, though only for an instant. As the continued inversion of the left eye was thus proved to be the result, not of a voluntary effort on the part of its muscles, but of the non-removal of the mutual convergence, the adductor of the right, and still straight eye was divided, without separating the muscle from the ball. Result.—Both eyes were perfectly straight on looking for- wards. Remarks.—Both eyes required operation in this case, on ac- count of the great converging power, indicated by the great inversion of the left eye. As the eyeballs were large, it is probable that the tendons of the superior and inferior recti were large in a corresponding degree. The case is an ex- tremely beautiful one, and there has never been any renewal of the mutual convergence. Case V.—September 27, (Vide Plate II. Fig. 2, a.)—Mr Irving, aged 34. Squint of twenty-eight years’ duration. In- version of the right eye so great as to conceal the inner half of its cornea, when the left is straight. Right eye never made use of, as its vision is very indistinct. On closing the left, the position of the eyes was instantly reversed. Operation.—The right adductor was separated and divided. On uncovering the left, eye, the right one was still as much in-
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