293 On the Staphyloma, Hydrophihahnia, 



on pouring off carefully the supernatant liquor, there was 

 discovered at the bottom of the vessel a sediment conoisiing 

 of the bones of several mice, of small trrains of pyrites, of 

 sulphur, of cryslailized green sulphate of iron, and of black 

 muddy oxide of iron. 



These appearances may with much probability be attri- 

 buted to the mutual action of the animal matter and the 

 sulphate of irqn, by which a portion of the metallic salt 

 seems to have been entirely dcoxygenated. 



LV^I. On the Staphyloma, Hydrophthalmia, anrH Carcinoma 

 of the Eye. By James Ware, Esq., F.R.S. and 

 Vice President of the Medical Society*. 



XiLTHODGH it be too often the melancholy province of 

 medical men to witness disorders which cannot be removed, 

 and in the treatment of which the utmost exertions of their 

 art can only produce a mitigation of the symptoms, — surgery 

 nevertheless, besides affording in thi= way considerable be- 

 nefit to mankind, is often highly serviceable in various dis- 

 eases, by preventing the occurrence of greater evils than 

 those which have already taken place. This observation is 

 strikingly exernplified in those disorders of the eye to which 

 the atrention of the society is now requested ; for though all 

 of them have irrecoverably dtstroyed vision, yet the staphy- 

 loma and hydrophthalmia indispensably require an operation 

 that shall cause the eve to sink in the orbit, in order to 

 obviate constant pain and uneasiness; and the carcinoma of 

 the eye is only capable of receiving a check, in its leudency 

 to destroy life, by the complete extirpation of that organ. 



The term staphyloma is sometimes used to designate the 

 protrusion of a part of the iris through a wound or ulcer of 

 the cornea. This is perhaps its most correct meaning, the 

 Greek word, from which it is derived, implying similitude 

 to a raisin or dried grape. But various authors have also 

 used the term to denote a projecting opaque cornea ; and in 

 this sense I propose more particularly to employ it at this 

 time. When the projection is very considerable, the dis- 

 order is sometimes also called proptosis ; an-d in those cases, 

 where the projection is not confined to the cornea, but oc- 

 cupies also a portion of the sclerotica, as sometimes happens, 

 this latter appellation is peculiarly appropriate. 



]t has been disputed by authors, whether the projection of 

 the opaque cornea, in the staphyloiria, is occasioned by a 



* From theTransactions of the Medical Society of London, vol i. parti. 



thickenino; 



