A systeme of anatomy, treating of the body of man, beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants illustrated with many schemes, consisting of variety of elegant figures, drawn from the life, and engraven in seventy four folio copper-plates. And after every part of man's body hath been anatomically described, its diseases, cases, and cures are concisely exhibited. The first volume containing the parts of the lowest apartiments of the body of man and other animals, etc. / by Samuel Collins ...

CHAP. XIV. Of the Diseases of the Watry Humors of the Eye, and their Cures.

THE watry humor of the Eye, when it recedes from its natural dis∣position, is called by the Greeks, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by the Latines, Suffusio, * 1.1 when the aqueous Liquor is encreased in dimensions, whereby the dilatation of the Pupil of the Eye is enlarged; or when it offends in quality as it is rendred more gross, it is most properly called Oculi suffusio, proceeding from some Recrements of the Blood, destilling out of the Terminations of the Carotide Arteries, and spoiling the native purity of the watry humor; Galen is of an opinion that this Disease may be derived from the condensation of it, but this is very rare, and is most commonly produced from the afflux of other gross Humors; the Suffusion of the Eye is vulgarly called Cataracta, * 1.2 which is very improper, as the word denoteth, a violent and steep descent of Wa∣ter, which cannot happen in the Eye.

This Disease may truly be accounted, * 1.3 as relating to the watry humors of the Eye, as it is disaffected by gross Humors (rather than Vapours) seated between the Cornea and Cristalline humor.

Some Physicians assigne another cause of a Suffusion, which is only spu∣rious, and floweth, as they conceive, from Vapours of the Stomach and other parts of the Body disaffecting the Eyes, which seem to represent the Phantasms of Fleas, Flies, and Spiders Webs, flying up and down in the Air; but the most common and true cause of the Suffusion of the Eye, doth not come from Vapours, but excrementitious parts of the Blood, ousing out of the Extremities of the Carotide Arteries (inserted into the Uvea) into the watry liquor of the Eye, which groweth more and more discom∣posed in its function, as the aqueous Humor is more and more incrassated by the recrements of the Blood.

Sometimes this Disease may take its rise in some part from a gross Liquor destilling out of the Termination of the Nerves (implanted into the Uvea) into the watry liquor of the Eye, and is more rare, than the other cause, arising out of the recrements of the Blood.

This Disease admitteth many discriminations from the greater or less grosness of the offensive Matter, or from the quantity of it, or from the part affected.

In reference to the various degrees of thickness of the Recrements, the Sight is more or less offended; In the beginning of the Suffusion the Humor is thin and transparent, and giveth less disturbance to the Eye.

And in the increase and state of the Disease, the Recrements of the Blood grow more condensed and opace; so that the visible Object cannot be duly or not at all received into the aqueous and Cristalline Humor of the Eye; And as the quantity of excrementitious Liquor of the Eye is more or less shaded, the Sight is lessened or abolished.

In relation to the part aggrieved, the Humor either affecteth one part of the Pupil, and then the whole Object cannot be discerned; and if the offensive Humor have recourse to the middle of the Pupil, the resemblances of things, appear to the Eye Latise-wise, by reason the Matter clouding the Center of the Pupil, representeth the visible Objects carried to its Margent, as Pinked with many holes.

The Diagnosticks of a true Suffusion of the Eye, is first that a Cloud appeareth in the Center of the Pupil, which is not found in a spurious Suffusion.

Secondly, In it the Symptoms are continued, but those of a Bastard-Suffusion are sometimes better, and other times worse, according to the greater or less Anathymiasis of Vapours afflicting the Eye (which are much less when the Stomach is empty) which represent Fleas, Flies, &c. more or less at several times; and sometimes the Eye is wholly free from such Phantasms, as not at all affected with Vapours; but in a true Suffusion the visible Objects are seen as through a Cloud, or Glass, which is the proper and Pathognomick Symptom of this Disease.

The Prognosticks may be determined according to the various times of the Disease, * 1.4 by reason Galen is of an opinion that in the beginning of a Suffusion (in which the visible images of things may be disco∣vered as through a Glass) the disaffection may admit a Cure, which supposeth Youth and a good disposition of Body, else in Old age, and in an ill habit, the disease for the most part proveth incurable, especially in those that have been subject to a great and long flux of Humors into their Eyes.

Riviere giveth an account, * 1.5 that in the beginning of a Suffusion he Cured this Disease in a Person above Fifty years of age, by frequent Purgings, and Sudorifick Diet-drinks and Vesicatories, without any appli∣cation of Topicks.

If this Disease flow from an Inflammation of the Lungs, a Phren∣sie, or a violent pain of the Head, it is hardly Curable, as also when the Suffusion is Black and void of all transparency, or when it is Green, or Yellowish, or like Quick-silver in colour or motion, or when the Matter is lodged in the Center of the Pupil, (wherein the Objects are represented Latise-wise) there is a small hope of any Cure in a Cataract.

In the beginning of this Disease in a Plethorick Body, * 1.6 a Vein may be safely opened, and Purgatives also may be advised, mixed with Cephalick, and Specifick Alteratives proper for the Eyes.

And afterward Diet-drinks may be advised, made of Lignum-Sanctum, Sarzaparilla, Sassafras, Salendine the Great, Vervain, Eye-bright.

And the Head may be Fomented with a Lixivium, in which the Leaves of Betony, Eye-bright, Majoran, Rose-Mary, Lavender and Coriander-seed may be boiled.

And also Cupping-Glasses, Vesicatories, may be applied to the Shoulders and Neck, to which also a Setum may be administred

In order to discuss the offensive Matter, Fomentations by way of Vapours may be used to the Eye, made of Ground Ivy, Eye-bright, Valerian, Salen∣dine the Great, &c.

And afterward detersive Medicines may be applied, prepared of White Honey depurated, or distilled Waters of Honey, or Honey of Roses, or Squills; of which some few drops may be instilled into the parts affected, Morning and Night.

Or else take the Leaves of Green Corn, Rue, Pimpernel, Salendine the great, distilled with a little Cinamon and Mace, and a small proportion of White-wine, after a due infusion.

You may take the distilled Water of Salendine, mixed with White Vitriol, and prepared Tutty, in a small quantity, and with a little Vitrum Antemonii, and Sugar-Candy.

This Medicine is very much commended by Galen, made of the Gall of a Cock, the Blood of a Mouse, mixed with a Womans Milk, which may safe∣ly be applyed to the Eyes.

Or take of the Leaves of Rue, Fennel, Eye-bright, Salendine the great, the Seeds of Fenugreek, the Flowers of Chamaemel, and Melilot, and let them be boiled in three parts of Fountain Water, and one part White-wine, and let the part affected be bathed with a soft Spunge; or let the fume of this Decoction be received into the Eyes.

Other Medicines also may be of great use in this Disease, which shall be advised in the Gutta Serena.

When proper methods of Physick have been administred, and prove alto∣gether unsuccessful, Chyrurgical operations are to be celebrated as the last remedy.

And as I humbly conceive, a Cataract is to be couched after this manner, * 1.7 by first obliging the Patient to turn his Eye inward toward the Nose, and the Needle is to be immitted into the Adnata, in the middle between the out∣ward Canthus and the Cornea, over against the middle of the suffusion, and to be gently handled till it come to the middle of the Pupil, and Cataract, where the Needle is to be quickly turned, till by degrees it is brought below the whole region of the Pupil, and then after some little stay, the Needle is to be lifted up, and not immediately taken away, That the Cataract may rise, and be gently brought away. And immediately after it, the White of an Egg may be beaten up with Rose-water and Alom, and applyed to the Eye, with a little Linnen, to hinder the fluxe of Humors, and prevent an In∣flammation.

Sometimes it happens when the Cataract is not ripe, as being not concre∣ted, when it is pricked with a Needle; it runneth about like a milky sub∣stance, or a puddle water; whereupon it is discharged, and cannot again coalesce into one body, by reason the Tunicle enclosing it, is broken by the Needle.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The increase of the aque∣ous humor of the Eye is called Suffu∣sio.
• * 1.2

  A Cataracta of the Eye.
• * 1.3

  The causes of the said Dis∣ease.
• * 1.4

  The Progno∣sticks of a Suffusion.
• * 1.5

  The Cures of a Suffusion.
• * 1.6

  A Vein may be opened in a Suffusion.
• * 1.7

  The manner of couching a Catarach.