Читать книгу Treatment of the diseases of the eye, by means of prussic acid vapour, and other medicinal agents - Alexander Turnbull - Страница 5

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In September, 1841, I made the following communication to the editor of the Medical Gazette, which he kindly inserted:—

It is a well-known fact, that the eyes of those who have been destroyed by hydrocyanic acid show none of the usual symptoms of dimness for a length of time after death.[1] On the contrary, the eye is clear and the pupil much dilated. This satisfied me that the acid exerted a specific action upon the eye, which might be made available as a medical agent for relieving many of the diseases to which that organ is so subject.

My first experiment was undertaken in 1837, with the diluted acid, by dipping a sponge into it, and rubbing it upon the forehead for the space of a few minutes, which gave the skin a very red appearance; but the patient experienced not the least sense of heat, and the pupil was slightly dilated. I continued to use this with very beneficial effects in incipient cataract, opacities of the cornea, inflammation, amaurosis, iritis, &c. Of late, instead of the diluted acid I have applied the vapour of the concentrated acid to the eye with much more decided effect, and without the slightest danger. The plan I generally adopt, is to put into an ounce-phial a drachm of the acid, and hold it in close contact with the eye, the eyelid being open, for the space of about half a minute, or until such time as the patient feels a little warmth, or the person holding the phial sees the pupil greatly dilated, and the vessels of the eye injected with blood, which is the invariable effect of the application of the acid. The patient is not sensible of pain from this peculiar state being induced, which appears to me to result from the powerfully sedative influence of the acid,[2] thereby showing that two opposite powers—to wit, the stimulating and the sedative—are exerted at the same time; and thereby the uneasiness arising generally from a stimulant alone is prevented. Its great power in removing these diseases chiefly arises from the two powers being so blended, and thus enabling the eye to bear a sufficient stimulating action without injury. The person who holds the acid to the eye should be careful not to allow the patient to smell it.