On excessive sensory cortical discharges and their effects : a study of sensory aurae / by A. Hughes Bennett.

  • Bennett, A. Hughes (Alexander Hughes), 1848-1901.
Date:
[1887]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On excessive sensory cortical discharges and their effects : a study of sensory aurae / by A. Hughes Bennett. 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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    tion were followed by those of exhaustion, as manifested by amblyopia of the entire field of the same eye. 4. Affection of a certain area on one side of the brain produces its effect on the opposite eye only. 5. Trephining by the removal of the cause of irritation arrested the phenomena. Along with the above must be taken the following case, which is also of much interest, as showing a totally different effect on vision from cortical disease. A man aged forty-eight had been for a year paralysed on his left side, which was also in a state of constant tremor. He was subject to occasional epileptic attacks of a severe general nature, but had frequent seizures of a slighter character. These last consisted—in addition to headache, giddiness, and some mental confusion—of the sudden appearance of a bright-red light in both eyes, the position of which could not be exactly defined. There was no loss of consciousness. In less than a minute this passed off, leaving a deficiency of sight in both eyes. On careful testing, it was found that homonymous hemianopia, of a not complete type, existed on the right side, so that the two halves of both left fields of vision were nearly blind. This disturbance of sight was only computed by rough testing with the fingers, as, owing to its temporary nature, there was no opportunity of more accurately measuring the con- dition into a perimeter. There was, however, no doubt of the general fact, which was observed on several occasions. After death extensive softening was found of almost the entire cortical motor region on the right side, which involved the angular gyrus and almost reached as far as the occipital and temporal convolutions. This case is quite different in its results from the preceding one, but is of equal interest. It seems to show that irritation of some other portion of the cortex causes a discharge of light, which is attributed to both eyes, and that the subsequent