Treatise upon the nature and treatment of morbid sensibility of the retina, or weakness of sight : being the dissertation to which the Boylston medical prize for 1848 was awarded upon the following question: "What is the nature and best mode of treatment of that affection of the eyes, commonly called morbid sensibility of the retina?" / by John H. Dix.

  • Dix, John H. (John Homer), 1813?-1884.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Treatise upon the nature and treatment of morbid sensibility of the retina, or weakness of sight : being the dissertation to which the Boylston medical prize for 1848 was awarded upon the following question: "What is the nature and best mode of treatment of that affection of the eyes, commonly called morbid sensibility of the retina?" / by John H. Dix. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    discerns for a short time, that is, for a few mo- ments, or more rarely for a longer period, even the smallest objects, in an extremely weak light, as clearly as the best eye can see them in the light of day; while, at other times, he cannot distinguish even larger things in the same light. This state, which is called oxyopia, that is, acuteness of sight, (from oSu«, sharp, and oy>,?, vis- ion,) deserves the particular attention of the practical surgeon. — Lehre, vol. ii. p. 426. Tenderness of the globe to pressure, is a symp- tom to be met with in about one fourth of the cases of simple morbid sensibility, at some period or other. It is of every possible degree. It is in many cases constant, being observable at times when the eyes are perfectly free from pain, and the other inconveniences resulting from use or exposure; but it is usually increased with, and sometimes comes on only in connection with, them. It is commonly equal in both eyes, the other symptoms being the same in both, but not always; and in some few instances I have known it to alternate from one eye to the other for pe- riods of a week, or a month or two, without any corresponding change in the condition of the eyes in other respects. I have never ascertained it to be one of the symptoms first observed, but this may be because the attention of a patient would not probably be attracted to it until he