INTRODUCTION 



fication of ancient descriptions of disease, meets 

 us again when we come to complaints of the eyes. 

 These were very common, because dust was 

 everywhere, and hygienic rules for keeping it 

 uncontaminated were unknown. Moreover, 

 there were no mechanical aids, such as spec- 

 tacles. Pliny mentions aegilops, albugo, argema, 

 caligo, epinyctis, epiphora, glaucoma, hypochysis, 

 inflammaho, lippitudo, nuheculae, nyctalops, pru- 

 rigo, pterygium, scahritia, suffusio, as well as other 

 disorders, nervous or functional. Some of these 

 names, laying stress on a prominent symptom, 

 which is common to more than one eye trouble, 

 cannot be safely assigned to any particular 

 modern disease. but a few identifications are 

 fairly certain. 



Aegilops. — -This was a lacrimal fistula, at the angle 

 near the nose. 



Albugo. — Occurring only in PHny, meant a white 

 ulcer; it is uncertain of what kind. Alhugines 

 coukl occur on the head (XXVI. § 160). 



Argema. — A small white ulcer, partly on the cornea. 

 partly on the sclerotic coat of the eye. 



Caligo. — Any dimness, particularly that caused by 

 ophthalmia. 



Epijiyctis. — A sore on the eyeHd. See p. viii. 



Epiphora. — Any flux from the eye. 



Glaucoma. — An opaqueness of the crystalline lens. 



Hypochysis. — Cataract. 



Lippitudo. — Ophthalmia, inflammation of the eye. 



Nubecula. — A cloudy film over the eye, perhaps 

 sometimes a form of cataract. 



Nyctalops. — One who is afliicted with night 

 blindness. 



