Colour-blindness.

Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Colour-blindness. 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.

    1/4 (page 142)
    I-June i, L 1881. THE SPECIALIST. Dec. 5th. Since patient’s last visit, father had had attack of gout, though previously denied having had gout. Dec. 15th. Applied liq. carbonis cletergens, J;vss. ! liq. plumbi acet., ^ss. ; in. x. in aqua; and ung. liq. carbo. detergens, in xx. ; vaseline, §j. ; hyd. ammon. chlor., gr. x. ; to be applied on cotton each night. This treatment was adopted at Mr. J. Hutchinson’s suggestion, to whom Mr. Lennox Browne took the patient on my recommendation. This treatment was continued to Feb. gth, 1880, when the bluish colour began to disappear and the swelling to subside. The meatus nearly of normal size. The itching and pain gradually ceased, and—• June 5th. Had quite recovered, with exception of pale blue discoloration marking the seat of the original disease, which was slightly raised. Remarks. The most striking feature of this case was its intractable nature, resisting all treatment for some time. Mr. Hutchinson regarded this as a case of lupus eczema,— that is, of the nature of eczema, very obstinate, and which, if cured, leaves a scar. There does not, however, appear to be any sign of a scar at this date (nor 1880). The resistance to treatment, the appearance of the growth and glandular enlargement, at first suggested a semi-malignant character, but the patient’s age and history were opposed to such a view. The family history was strongly in favour of some form of eczema. On reference to works on ear disease, scarcely any mention is made of so inveterate an affection of the auricle. That the disease was localised in the auricle and meatus, was proved by the almost normal appearance of the memb. tymp., and the complete restoration of the hearing power removed any doubt as to implication of the middle ear. Amongst a large number of patients in public and private practice, I have never seen a similar case to the above. Kebtetosf anti Notice#, Note Book for Cases of Ovarian and other Abdominal Tumours* Sixth Edition. By T. Spencer Wells, F.R.C.S., Consulting Surgeon to the Samaritan Hospital for Women and Children.—This well-known and valuable note-book has just made its sixth appearance, in a slightly modified form. One of the diagrams has been improved and a note added on antiseptic precautions taken during the operation, from which we learn that the author began to carbolise the sponges and the silk used for ligatures and sutures, and to keep the instru- ments in carbolised water, as well as to operate under spray, in January 1878. Since that time he has had 137 cases, with thirteen deaths—a mortality of 94 per cent. This diminish- ing death-rate he mainly attributes to the additional antiseptic precautions. As to subsequent history, he says it is desirable to ask every patient who recovers to write once every year, on the anniversary of the operation, giving full information as to her state. From such communications, and from circulars sent to all who recovered of the first five hundred operations, he ascertained that thirty-five women, who were unmarried at the time of the operation, had married since. Of these, 14 had each had one child, 6 two, 3 three, and 3 four children ; 3 had twins. Of 259 women who were married when the operation was performed, 23 had had one or more children since. Of twenty-five he could obtain no information. Of 300 operations performed since the first 500, one patient who was unmarried at the time of the operation had married since, and had a child ; and of 158 women who were married when operated on, 9 had each had one child, 4 two, and 1 three. One had had twins, and three were pregnant when last heard of. Fie completed 1000 operations in June 1880, and purposes obtaining further particulars respecting all the patients who recovered. * J. & A. Churchill, London. Dysmenorrhea, its Pathology and Treatment* By Hey wood Smith, M.A. and M.D. Oxon., Physician to the Hospital for Women and to the British Lying-in Hospital.—The author has endeavoured to point out the propriety of considering Dysmenorrhea as a symptom not only existing but also pathognomonic in many disorders of the organs of reproduc- tion in the female; and the necessity, therefore, of treating not this particular symptom merely, but specially the various diseases of which it is only a symptom, though often that predominant one for w'hich the patient seeks for advice and relief at the hands of her medical attendant. There are probably no diseases that fall to the lot of mankind, entailing so much mental and bodily suffering as that frequent symptom, variously manifested, the outcome of various diseases, which we term Dysmenorrhea, and few are more difficult to relieve. Dr. Hey wood Smith has most carefully and completely treated his subject, and his work will be hailed with gratifi- cation by those who are constantly called upon to treat this troublesome and painful symptom, and will, we think, rank with the best on the subject in our language. Refraction of the Eye, its Diagnosis, and the Correction of its Errors, with Chapter on Keratoscopyf By A. Stanford Morton, M.B., F.R.C.S. Ed., Senior Assistant Surgeon to the Royal South London Ophthalmic Plospital, and Clinical Assistant to Moorfields Ophthalmic Hospital.—This little work will be found particularly useful by beginners, and those practitioners who, systematically using the ophthalmo- scope in their investigation of disease, wish to avail themselves of the information thereby afforded regarding the patient’s refraction, the errors of which they must be able to detect in order to make due allowance for them. Some good hints are given as to the glasses required in the more ordinary cases, and the plan has been adopted of working out from the symptoms the nature of the defect instead of naming the defect and then describing the symptoms accompanying it. We recommend the work as one likely to give the greatest satisfaction. The Detection of Colour-Blindness and Imperfect Eyesight.\ By Charles Roberts, F.R.C.S.—This is a description of the methods of detection of colour-blindness and imperfect eye- sight, by Dr. Snellen, Dr. Dane, and Professor Holmgren, together with a table of coloured Berlin wools and sheet of test types, as arranged for the Anthropometric Committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. In these days of railway travelling it is of the utmost importance that railway servants should possess a proper perception of colours to enable them to recognize with certainty the various signals on the line of rails; and this useful and convenient compilation will be of the greatest service to those who are engaged in detecting colour-blindness. l^ome anti jforeiffti anti detract#* COLOUR-BLINDNESS. The Ophthalmological Society instituted some time since an inquiry into the prevalence of colour-blindness in the United Kingdom, and the Committee appointed to inquire into defects of sight in relation to the public safety held a meeting on the 7th April, at which their report was considered. Dr. Brailey made a somewhat lengthy statement, from which we gather the following facts {Med. Times Caz.):—The inquiry extended over five months, the examinations being conducted by gen- tlemen of experience. Number examined, 18,088, taken principally from the public institutions, public and private schools, metropolitan police, and the Coldstream Guards. The method of Holmgren was followed with coloured wools. Some were also tested by coloured lights, as exhibited in the * J. & A. Churchill, London, t H. K. Lewis, London, t David Bogue, London. I