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VI. Memoir of the Case of a Gentleman born blind, and successfully operated upon in 

 the 1 8th year of his age, with Physiological Observations and Experiments. By 

 J. C. August Franz, of Leipzic, M.D., M.R.C.S., ^c. Communicated by Sir 

 Benjamin C. Brodie, Bart., F.R.S., S^c 



Received April 21, — Read May 6, 1841. 



JMR. F. J.j the subject of the present memoir, is the son of a physician ; of scrofu- 

 lous diathesis, but otherwise of robust constitution ; of irritable temperament, but 

 of contented and happy disposition ; and endowed with an excellent understand- 

 ing, quick power of conception, and retentive memory. In both the eyes of his 

 father, cataract (with the addition, I suspect, of glaucoma) has manifested itself 

 within the last four years, after a severe attack of influenza. The relatives on the 

 paternal side are predisposed to diseases of the eye, but in the mother, and in the re- 

 latives on her side, no such predisposition can be traced. With regard to the cause 

 of the ophthalmic affections which form the su])ject of this paper, the mother seemed 

 to lay much stress on the following circumstance, which, although it may possibly 

 have had some share in the cause of one of them, can have had no influence, 

 in my opinion, in producing the other. She stated to me tliat in the eighth month 

 of her pregnancy, whicli up to this period had proceeded Ifavourably, she received 

 from her youngest child, which she was carrying in her arms, a severe blow on the 

 eye. This accident caused inflammation of the eye, accompanied with a curious 

 visual illusion, viz. that all objects which she saw, but especially those situated on 

 the ground, appeared of a deep concave form ; an illusion which lasted for several 

 months. The fright experienced from the accident also brought on convulsions, 

 which, recurring several times, extended even to the foetus. The recurrence of these 

 convulsions produced in the mind of the mother a continual anxiety and fear for the 

 health of the child, while the pain arising from the ophthalmia, together with the 

 visual illusion just mentioned, gave her fears a direction more especially towards its 

 eyes. Delivery took place at the proper period, when the eyes of the infant, 

 which was otherwise healthy and well-formed, were found to present a twofold de- 

 fect of organization. The father, to whose statement, on account of his professional 

 knowledge, more weight is to be attached, informed me that both eyes were turned 

 inwards to such an extent that a portion of the cornea was hidden by the inner canthus, 

 and that in both pupils a yellowish-white discoloration was to be observed, which, 

 being situated behind the iris, could not be the pupillary membrane. That the stra- 

 bismus and cataract of both eyes in this case were congenital, is evident from the 



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