CATARACT. 119 



supposed by veterinary surgeons to be capsular, are ever absorbed, 

 and the capsule become transparent again.' " 



" These small cataracts," continues Mr. Cooper, in his communication to 

 The Veterinarian for 1841, " are, I presume, partial opacities of the cap- 

 sule, and are not unconnnon in the human subject. I have a case now under 

 my observation which illustrates the point beautifully. In the centre of the 

 pupil of each eye a white spot may be discerned, and upon careful examina- 

 tion this is clearly seen to be an opacity of the capsule of the lens, that body 

 being evidently immediately posterior to it. These opacities have existed 

 for some time, and are slowly but decidedly increasing." — " / have never yet 

 observed^ in the human subject^ a decided opacity of the lenticxdar capsule to dis- 

 appear. Instances have come under my notice of lymph being deposited upon 

 the capsule during iritis, and closely resembling in appearance an opacity of 

 that membrane, which lymph has been afterwards absorbed ; but these spuri- 

 ous cataracts must not be confounded with genuine. This leads me to the 

 question, ' whether lenticular cataracts ever become absorbed in the human 

 subject, leaving the eye transparent.' Without saying that such an event is 

 impossible, Ia7n not aware oj" any really well- authenticated case on record. We 

 certainly hear of remedies to cure cataract without operation, and ever and 

 anon these are stated to have worked wonders; but I fear the cases related 

 will not bear investigation : and the simple fact that, one after the other, 

 these ' remedies' have fallen into disrepute, is the best proof of their ineffi- 

 cacy. In fact, we have yet to lea?'n ivhcther time cataract is capable of being 

 cured by remedial measures., without having recourse to operation. I believe 

 that, under certain circumstances, the disease may be retarded by treatment ; 

 but I fear that the present state of our knowledge will not honestly carry 

 us beyond this point." 



Mr. Liston, on the same point, says* — " Cataract sometimes, 

 though rarely, disappears spontaneously, being absorbed." But 

 in another place — " Many remedies, external and internal, and 

 mercury among the rest, have been employed with a view of dis- 

 sipating cataracts; but all are of no use." 



My own Practical Remarks shall be added to these ex- 

 tremely interesting accounts, and then we will sift what we can 

 out of the materials in our possession. 



~ Although the case I am going to relate occurred so long ago as 1 826, yet 

 had it escaped, among a mass of notabilia., my memory ; and might, indeed, 

 have lain dormant to the present time, had it not been called into existence in 

 The Veterinarian for 1834, by the perusal of some interesting papers on 

 the subject of the trial of Roberts versus Croft. Mr. Courtney, then resident 

 * In his " Elements of Surgery." 



