Enucleation of the eyeball : one of the selected papers read before the Mass. Medical Society, June 2d, 1868 ; Section of the ciliary nerves and optic nerve : communicated to the Boston medical and surgical journal ; Some unnecessary causes of impaired vision : communicated to the Boston medical and surgical journal / by B. Joy Jeffries.

  • Jeffries, B. Joy (Benjamin Joy), 1833-1915.
Date:
1868
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Enucleation of the eyeball : one of the selected papers read before the Mass. Medical Society, June 2d, 1868 ; Section of the ciliary nerves and optic nerve : communicated to the Boston medical and surgical journal ; Some unnecessary causes of impaired vision : communicated to the Boston medical and surgical journal / by B. Joy Jeffries. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    18/46
    Again, in I860, he says, practitioners ought to understand enucleation better than they do, for they seem to have a sort of dread of it, as if dangerous to the other eye, and as though it was a severe and bloody operation. The success attending Mr. Critchetfs operation of course led other En- glish ophthalmic surgeons to follow him, and enucleation soon became so frequent in London practice as to astonish the French and German schools, and naturally excite their opposition, which was perhaps fortunate, as the whole sub- ject of enucleation for sympathetic trouble has in conse- quence been now thoroughly discussed, and the results care- fully weighed and considered, so that we already have some definite laws to guide our decision. The more this operation has been used by surgeons at the great centres of ophthalmic practice and clinical study and teaching, the more strongly do they speak of its value, sim- plicity and necessity. A few quotations from the highest authorities in the English, French and German ophthalmic schools will here be directly in place, and probably have their due weight. Dr. Bader,26 of London, says, The facility with which enucleation is performed, its great freedom from risk, and the adaptability of an artificial eye, ought to make us con- sider a disorganized eye, which is the seat of pain or annoy- ance, as a foreign body whose removal the sooner it is ac- complished the better. If not painful at the time it is a de- formity, and is liable at any time of ill health to become the seat of inflammation, and affect sympathetically the opposite organ. It is not only unwise, but incorrect to bring before the patient's imagination the idea of ' taking the eye out.' and omitting the scientific advantage of excising; medical men must soon learn to value the operation. Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson27 says, in regard to enucleation of the eyeball even during the acute stage of traumatic pan-