The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XXI. By what signes ripe and curable cataracts may bee discerned from unripe and uncurable ones.

IF the sound eye being shut, the pupill of the sore or suffused eye, after it shall be rubbed with your thumbe, bee presently dilated and diffused, and with the like celerity returne into the place, figure, colour and state, it is thought by some to shew a ripe and confirmed cataract. But an unripe and not to bee couched, if the pupill remaine dilated and diffu∣sed for a long while after. But it is a common signe of a ripe, as also more dense and consequently uncurable suffusion, to bee able to see nor distinguish no visible thing beside light and brightnesse; for to discerne other objects sheweth that it is not yet ripe. Therefore the sound eye being shut and pressed, the pupill of the other rubbed

with your thumbe, is dilated, enlarged, swelleth and is more diffused; the visive spi∣rits by this compression being as it were forced from the sound into the fore eye. But these following cataracts are judged uncurable, that is, such as are great, such as when the eye-lid is rubbed are nothing dilated or diffused, whose pupill becommeth no broader by this rubbing: for hence you may gather that the stopping or obstruction is in the opticke nerve, so that how cunningly and wellsoever the cataract bee con∣ched, yet will the Patient continue blind; you shall do no more good in couching a * 1.1 cataract, which is in an eye consumed and wasted with a Phthisis. Also that cataract is uncurable which is occasioned by a most grievous disease, to wit, by most bitter and cruell paines of the head, or by a violent blow. Such as are of a plaister-like, green, blacke, livid, citrine and quicksilver-like colour, are usually uncurable. On * 1.2 the contrary, such as are of a Chesnut colour, or of a skye or sea-water colour, with some little whitnesse; yeeld great hope of a happy and successefull cure.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Uncurable Ca∣taracts.
• * 1.2

  Curable Ca∣taracts.