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VI. Memoir of the Case of a Gentleman horn blind, and successfully operated upon in 
the ISth year of his age, with Physiological Observations and Experiments. By 
J. C. August Franz, of Leipzic, M.D., M.R.C.S., 8$c. Communicated by Sir 
Benjamin C. Brodie, Bart., F.R.S., 8$c. 
Received April 21, — Read May 6, 1841. 
Mr. f. 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 subject 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 that in the eighth month 
of her pregnancy, which up to this period had proceeded favourably, 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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