378 DISORDERS 



gutta ferena, catara^y Jilmy &c. ; but as relief 

 is rarely obtained in thefe cafes, a very mi- 

 nute and extenfive defcription of the com- 

 ponent parts that conftitute the caufe, can 

 add but little, if any, to the general inform- 

 ation. 



T^he gutta ferena is a partial or univerfal lofs 

 of fight, where no palpable defed or fault ap- 

 pears in the eye, except that the pupil is a 

 little more enlarged or contracted. The ap- 

 pearances of this blemiQi are various, as v/ell 

 as the caufes and efFedls, fome of its fubjeds 

 being totally blind, and others barely enabled 

 to diftinguiih between light and darknefs. 

 The figns are a blacknefs of the pupil of the 

 eye, its fize being larger or lefs than ufual, ac- 

 cording to the caufe, and its not contrading 

 or dilating upon a fudden expofure to any de* 

 gree of light. In order to the cure attend to 

 the caufe as the firil ftep to an adminiftration 

 of medicine, from which, in truth, no great 

 expedation can be formed either internally 

 or externally ; more particularly from the for- 

 mer, as the feat of difcafe is fo very remote 

 from the centre of medicinal adtion. If the 

 defed fliould originate in a contradion of of 



compreffion 



