Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

——;1859.] After-treatment of the Extraction of Cataract. 779the young lady free from epileptic symptoms. The dysenterysoon subsided, and the young lady quickly returned to almostperfect health, and is now quite well. The only means thathave since been employed in the treatment, have been a prettyactive purgative of aloes and rhubarb, conjoined with a warmhip-bath, used for several nights before each expected return.There are two points of interest, as I conceive, in the caseabove detailed : 1st. The undoubted relation which here existedbetween the amenorrhoea and epilepsy as cause and effect ; and2nd. The means employed by nature to produce relief, an irritationpropagated from the rectum and colon to the uterus bycontiguous sympathy. [American Journal.After-treatment of the Extraction of Cataract.The old method of bandaging the eyes is never practiced in theCentral London Ophthalmic Hospital, and the modern one ofplastering the eyelids is adopted in its stead. The object is tokeep the eyelids motionless and closed, in order that the edgesof the wound in the cornea may be kept in accurate adaptationby the gentle pressure of the eyelids. If a patient can keep hiseyes shut, no appliance is needed ; but few can do this. As thebandages are ordinarily applied, they are useless. To makethem potent as bandages, would demand a degree of pressurethat must be injurious. Very much annnoyance is often producedfrom the cloth being stuck to the cheek, by the aqueoushumor when it trickles away ;and the night's rest is broken inconsequence. A couple of straps of court-plaster, the eighth ofan inch wide, accomplish all that is desired. Mr. Walton generallyallows them to remain for a week ;but if any unpleasantnessis complained of, such as stiffness or hardness, theyare removed after the third or fourth da}\ To this plan, whichis wholly unobjectionable, Mr. Walton attaches much valueand he is convinced that the highest attainable results from theoperation of extraction cannot be obtained without it. Healways keeps the eyelids closed till the aqueous humor no longerescapes from the corneal wound ;that is, till the cornea is quitehealed. At the end of the week, when the patient has openedthe eye, Mr. Walton does not raise the lid himself, but desiresthe patient to open the eye naturally, which he considers farpreferable ; he again closes it, if requisite, with court-plaster forsome days. There can be no doubt of the prudence of this.Many an instance of prolapse of the iris, with all the irritationand ulterior consequences, has been produced by the use of theeye before there has been proper reunion. Young operatorsare often sadly puzzled to account for the secondary imperfeotion of prolapse of the iris, after they have had such promisingjr. 8.vol. xv. no. xi. 55