On semi-decussation of the optic nerves / by William Hyde Wollaston.

  • Wollaston, William Hyde, 1766-1828.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On semi-decussation of the optic nerves / by William Hyde Wollaston. 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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    In reflecting upon this subject, a certain arrangement of the optic nerves has suggested itself to me, which appears to afford a very probable interpretation of a set of facts, vv^hich are not consistent w^ith the generally received hypo- thesis of the decussation of the optic nerves. Since the corresponding points of the two eyes sympathise in disease, their sympathy is evidently from structure, not from mere habit of feeling together, as might be inferred, if reference were had to the reception of ordinary impressions alone. Any two corresponding points must be supplied with a pair of filaments from the same nerve, and the seat of a disease in which similar parts of both eyes are affected, must be considered as situated at a distance from the eyes at some place in the course of the nerves where these filaments are still united, and probably in one or the other thalamus ner- vorum opticorum. It is plain that the cord, which comes finally to either eye under the name of optic nerve, must be regarded as con- sisting of two portions, one half from the right thalamus, and the other from the left thalamus nervorum opticorum. According to this supposition, decussation will take place only between the adjacent halves of the two nerves. That portion of nerve which proceeds from the right thalamus to the right side of the right eye, passes to its destination with- out interference ; and in a similar manner the left thalamus will supply the left side of the left eye with one part of its fibres, while the remaining halves of both nerves in passing over to the eyes of the opposite sides must intersect each other, either with or without intermixture of their fibres. Now, if we consider rightly the facts discovered by com-