Remarks on effusion of blood within the eyeball / by C. Lockhart Robertson.

  • Robertson, C. Lockhart (Charles Lockhart), 1825-1897.
Date:
[1845?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on effusion of blood within the eyeball / by C. Lockhart Robertson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    were continued. Subsequently electro-magnetism was tried, with temporary improvement of vision. In August 1843, the disease suddenly recurred, for the seventh time, in the right eye (owing, it was supposed, to a sudden fright), and again yielded to leeches and mercury. Sight continued improving until May 1845, when she had an- other slight attack in the same eye. TJnder the employment of leeches and mercury, vision is being again restored. The right eye, after each attack, presented the following cha- racters :— The conjunctiva and selerotic were healthy, the pupil dilated, but perfectly regular, the colour and texture of the iris natural. On a minute examination of the posterior chamber,* * * § it was ob- served that an effusion of blood had taken place into the vitreous humour at the nasal side, and about halfway between the iris and optic nerve. The red colour gradually disappeared, leaving a mass of a brownish yellow colour, and of semi-metallic lustre. Under the action of mercurials, the bulk of this deposit was les- sened, and vision improved. At present it is about the size of a hazel nut. No effusion can be traced in the left eye. The pale coloured mass in the right eye, presented appear- ances nearly resembling those observed in the first stage of me- dullary carcinoma, from which it was distinguished,— Firstly, By the red colour presented by the tumour, after each effusion, which contrasted with the unvarying dark amber or greenish hue*}* of the incipient medullary carcinoma; while the single red vessels,J which, in the latter, may be traced over the tumour, were not present. Secondly, The pupil, instead of being, as it is in medullary carcinoma, irregular, and having the transverse diameter the larger, was equally and regularly dilated; while the colour and texture of the iris remained unaltered, instead of being reduced in thickness,§ or presenting the injected|] or reddish-yellow hue, which it does in incipient medullary carcinoma. Thirdly, The tumour decreased in size, and sight was gradu- ally restored under the employment of mercurials; while in the malignant affection, the size of the tumour never decreases, and vision becomes more and more impaired, in spite of all remedial means. * By the application of belladonna, and by allowing the focus of a double convex lens to fall on the eye, we are enabled more readily to appreciate any alteration in its deeper seated textures. + Wardrop on Fungus Haematodes, pp. 10 and 41. X Dr Robertson, Northern Journal, vol. ii., p. 66. § Dr Robertson, loc. cit. || Wardrop, op. cit., p. 47. TI Dr Robertson, loc. cit.