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XXI. Report made hy Order of the PhilomatJdc Socle fy of 

 Paris. Bij Drs. Magf.ndie and Blainville, on the Sub- 

 ject of the neiv Operations and Instruments invented hy Sir 

 William Adams for the Cure nf various Diseases ofth- Eye. 

 Read and approved by the Society the 2Sth of May 1814*. 



W B have been directed to give an account to the Society of 

 an R'lglish work having for its title " Practical Observations on 

 Ectropiur.!, with a De!<cripi;ion of a new Operation for the Cure 

 of that Disease, and the T'Tethod of forming an artificial Pupil, 

 &c. &c. Bv V/iitiarn Adams, Member of t!ie Foyal College of 

 Surgeons of Loudon, Oculist Extraordinarv to His Royal High- 

 ness the Prince Regent, Oculit.t in Ordinary to their Royal 

 Highnesses the Dukes of Kent and Sussex, and Surgeon to the 

 West of England Infirmary at Exeter for the Treatment of Dis- 

 eases of the Eves." To these titles it is but fair to add, that 

 Sir Wm. Adauis enjoys not only in England, but throughout Eu- 

 rope, the highest reputation as an oculist. 



The present work is divided into three chapters, each of 

 which embraces an important point in the history of diseases of 

 the eyes : we sjiall examine them in succession. 



The first chapter treats of Ectropium. In order to under- 

 stand what follows, we must observe that Ectropium is a disease 

 which consists of an eversion of the evelids, as a consequence 

 of which these organs cease to cover the anterior part of the 

 eye. This disease is not onlv hideous to the sight, but ex- 

 cessively severe upon the patient, chiefly on account of the ex- 

 cruciating pain occasioned l)y the contact of tiie air or a strong 

 light, and particularly if the saiallest solid body should touch 

 the conjunctiva. There is besides a constarit flow of tears 

 down the cheek, and an habitual ophthalmia, which in a short 

 time is followed by an opacity of the cornea, and soon after- 

 wards by blindnes-. 



Sir Wm. Adams chiefly confines himself to the Ectropium which 

 affects the lower eyelid onlv, and which is caused by the pri- 

 mitive eidargement of its internal membrane. It has been 

 proi)osed to cure this di'-ease by removing with scissars the en- 

 larged membrane, in order to reduce it to an equal length with 

 the skin, nearlv in tlie same way with tailors when they take in 

 the lininj;- of a coat tiie outside of which has shrunk. This mode of 

 treatment is generally adopted ; and Sir Wm. Adams having ope- 

 rated in this wav on several persons affected with Ectropium, he 

 found that the disease returned in the whole. He thought he had 

 iliitcovered tlie reason in the too considerable extent retained 



* From the Proceedings of the Plillomatliic Society of Paris. 



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