and the union of the Optic Nerves. 149 



gradually blind of the left eye. — See Burns's Surgical Ana- 

 tomy of the Head and Neck, p. 349. 



Obs. % — Morgagni states, that Hildanus had dissected a sub- 

 ject that had been blind of one eye, and found the correspond- 

 ing optic nerve wasted, even beyond the usual union of the 

 nerves on the sella turcica. 



Obs. 3. — A man was afflicted with paralysis of the left side of 

 the body : there was no perception of light with the left eye, 

 and the lids of both eyes were closed. The man died, and on 

 dissection, an ounce of coagulated blood was found in the right 

 thalamus ner v. optic, extending into the lateral ventricle. Here 

 we find an injury beyond the junction of the optic nerves, pro- 

 duces blindness of one eye, not half blindness of both eyes, 

 which it might be expected to do, if the semidecussation of 

 the optic nerves did exist. — See Sir E. Home's Attempt to as- 

 certain the Functions of different Parts of the Brain. 



Obs. 4. — A patient was affected with paralysis of the right side 

 of the body. Dissection discovered erosion of the right thala- 

 mus nerv. optic. Hemiopsia not noticed in this case. — See M. 

 Bayle on paralytic Affections on same Side of the Body, with 

 organic Lesions. 



Obs. 5. — A patient had hemiplegia of the right side, and lived 

 four years after the first attack. On dissection after death, an 

 effusion of blood was found in the right thalamus nerv i optici. 

 Hemiopsia was not observed in this case. 



Rostan mentions in his work Sur le Ramollissement du 

 Cerveau, that the disease, when deeply seated, most frequent- 

 ly affects the corpora striata, and Thai. nerv. optic, of the right 

 side. He states that imperfections of sight or blindness are 

 frequent symptoms in that disease, and sometimes one pupil is 

 more dilated than the other. But he has not mentioned hemi- 

 opsia as a symptom. 



Obs. 6. — Cassalpinus says, " Repertus est aliquando in ana- 

 tome, alter ex nervis visoriis attenuatus, alter plenus; visus 

 autem erat imbecillis in oculo ad quem nerv us extenuatus fere- 

 batur, habuit enim vulnus in capite circa eandem partem : ner- 

 vus autem extenuatus non ad oppositam partem procedebat, seel 

 ad eandem reflectebatur. Visum hoc est Pisis, anno 1590. 

 Unde omnes spectatores argumentum id certum existimave- 



