PERIOD [C OPHTHALMIA. 87 



thickened and opaque. At other times the lens is of its natural 

 size, its capsule being opaque, with some white spots in its sub- 

 stance, and concretions upon its inner surface. The posterior por- 

 tion of the clirystalline is thickened and indurated, almost as if it 

 had been boiled ; and it reflects a bottle-green colour. The fibres 

 of the iris surrounding the lens on some occasions become osseous ; 

 and in the place of the vitreous humour, resulting from its decom- 

 position, we find a viscous orange-coloured fluid, heavier than 

 water. Instead of the retina there is a fibrous membrane behind 

 the chrystalline. The optic nerve is flabby and softened. 



Mr. Charles Percivall has in his museum a couple of extremely inte- 

 resting preparations of morbid eyes. In one, the substance of the retina ap- 

 pears in places converted into osseous matter, constituting what may be called 

 ossification of the retina. In the other, the nervous expansion was wanting : 

 it seemed to be a case oi absorption of the retina. 



Mr. Cartwright had a good opportunity afforded him of ascertaining the 

 state of an eye that had experienced "three or four attacks of ophthalmia;" 

 and contrasting it with the other eye, which was sound. 



" The vitreous humour had not that beautifully white glassy appearance 

 that it has in its sound state, but was of a very pale amber colour, having a 

 slight tinge of green in it. The lens and capsule were as near as possible of a 

 natural colour and transparency; but they certainly had the same light amber 

 tinge as the vitreous humour. The under surface of the pigment um nigrum 

 (the choroid coat) was highly inflamed; for, on scraping the anterior surface 

 off, it presented a scarlet appearance, evidently referrible to an immense 

 number of small vessels; on cutting which across thc}^ evidently emptied 

 themselves, the redness in a great measure vanishing. This w^as so evident, 

 that, after forcing the vitreous humour out, the parts were of a dark red colour 

 when seen through the anterior part of the pigmentum nigrum. This red- 

 ness was not situated on or under any part that is called tapetum lucidum. 

 The optic nerve was decidedly harder to cut through than that of another eye, 

 and was more dense in its texture." — Veterinarian for 1836. 



M. RoDET has published the results of the dissection of a horse who had 

 experienced several attacks of ophthalmia in both eyes, and who at length was 

 destroyed in the time of an intermission, on account of having contracted 

 glanders. The cerebral substance throughout was injected; the optic tha- 

 lami and nerves equally so, with such an extraordinary development of their 

 bloodvessels that they looked as if they were varicosed. Although the animal 

 had been bled to death, the sclerotic vessels still were so distended that when 

 cut, blood in abundance flowed from them. The adherence between the 

 choroid and sclerotica was greater than usual; and both tunics exhibited 



