CASE OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN, $C. 57 



XIII. 



Cafe of a young Gentleman, who recovered his Sight when /even 

 Years of Age t after having been deprived of it by Cataracts, 

 before he was a Year old; with Remarks. By Mr. James 

 Ware, Surgeon. * 



[VI ASTER W. the fon of a refpeclable clergyman, at Hiftory of the 

 Caftlecary, in Somerfetfhlre, was born in the year .1793 ; childblind with 

 and, for many months, appeared to be a healthy perfect catara&s. 

 child: his eyes, in particular, were large and rather pro- 

 minent. When about fix months old, he began to cut his 

 teeth ; which was attended with great pain, and frequently 

 with violent convulfive fits. About the end of his firft year, a 

 number of perfons palling in proceflion near his father's houfe, 

 accompanied with mufic and flags, the child was taken to fee 

 them; but, inftead of looking at the proceflion, it was ob- 

 served that, though he was evidently much pleafed with the 

 mufic, his eyes were never directed to the place from whence 

 the found came. His mother, alarmed by this difcovery, was 

 naturally led to try whether he could fee filver fpoons, and 

 other glaring objects, which fhe held before him at different 

 di fiances ; and fhe was foon convinced, that he was unable 

 to perceive any of them. A furgeon in the country was con- 

 futed, who, on examining the child's eyes, difcovered an 

 opacity in the pupils, which was fo confiderable, that he did 

 not hefitate to pronounce there was a complete cataract in 

 each. A defcription of the child's filiation was then fent to 

 me, with a requeft that I would point out thofe fleps which 

 its parents fhould purfue. The cafe was fo evident, that I 

 could not hefitate in faying, that the removal of the opaque 

 cryflalline humour, from the place it occupied behind the 

 pupil, was the only method by which the child could obtain 

 his fight ; and, attached as I was, at that time, in all cafes, 

 to the operation of extracting the cataract, in preference to 

 that of deprefling it, I added, that I did not think he would 

 be fit for the operation, until he was at Ieafl thirteen or four- 

 teen years old. This advice being approved, all thoughts of 

 aflifting his fight were, for the prefent, relinquifhed. He 



* Philof. Tranf, 1801, p, 382. 



foon 



