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. XVI. Of the Diseases of the Optick Nerves, and the Retina, and their Cures.

THe chief Diseases afflicting the Eye, by reason of the Optick Nerves, is called by the Latines, Gutta Serena, by the Greeks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, when the Sight is abolished, without any manifest disaffection infesting the Eye, which is produced by many Causes: The First may be an Obstruction flow∣ing from a gross Nervous Liquor, not received into the Origen of the Nerves, seated in the Cortex of the Brain; whereupon the animal Spirits are intercepted in their passage into the Retina; so that the Appulses of visi∣ble Objects cannot be discerned.

The Second Cause of a Gutta Serena may be derived from Compression, wherein stagnated Blood, or gross chymous Humors, or Pus in an Apo∣steme, may compress the Extremities of the Nervous Fibres, placed in the Cortex of the Brain; whence the current of the Animal Liquor, and Spirits are stopped in their progress through the Optick Nerves, into the seat of Vision.

A Third Cause of the Gutta Serena may be fetched from the laceration of the carotide Arteries, inserted into the Cortex, which is overcharged with Blood, compressing the beginning of the Nerves, seated in the ambi∣ent parts of the Brain.

A Fourth Cause may proceed from the Convulsive motions of the Origen of the nervous Fibrils, hindring the influx of the animal Liquor and Spirits into the Retina, the subject of Vision.

And the disaffection of the Nerves, is not only the cause of a Gutta Se∣rena, but the animal Spirits too, which ought to be Serene, and not mixed with gross and dark Vapours, which spoil the clearness of the animal Li∣quor, and do destroy, or at least lessen the Sight.

Another Cause of the Gutta Serena may be derived from the inordinate motion of the animal Spirits, not being capable to be received into the Ori∣gens of the Nerves, seated in the Cortex of the Brain; whereby the Sight is either lessened or abolished, as it is very conspicuous in vertiginous disposi∣tions of the Brain.

Sometimes a Gutta Serena hath happened upon the taking of a violent Vomitory or Purge, highly agitating the nervous Liquor, and Blood, affect∣ed with gross Chyme; whereupon the Origens of the Nerves are sometimes

compressed, and other times obstructed, hindring the progress of the ani∣mal Liquor and Spirits, into the Nerves.

The Cure of this Disease is performed by Purging Medicines, discharging the gross Humors setled about the beginning of the Nervous Fibrils; after∣ward in Plethorick Bodies, Bleeding may be prescribed, which proveth often very effectual in the removal of a Gutta Serena.

Apozemes also made of the Flowers of Betony, Rosemary, Sage, Laven∣der, Lime, Lilly of the Valley, mixed with the Leaves of Eye-bright, Salen∣dine the great, Mountain-Sage; and after the Decoction is made, Mille∣pedes may be infused, which do open the obstruction of the optick Nerves, and clear up the animal Spirits, and refine the gross nervous Liquor.

Also Friction of the outward parts, may be beneficial to thin the Blood, and make good its circulation, to hinder its stagnancy in the Cortex, about the Origens of the Nerves; and to this end Cupping-Glasses may be apply∣ed to the Back, Shoulders and Neck.

Blistering Plaisters may be used between the Shoulders, and to the hin∣der part, and sides of the Neck, to draw off the Humors from setling in the ambient parts of the Brain, where the extremities of the nervous Fibrils are seated.

Cauticks applied to the hinder part of the Neck, do often divert the of∣fensive Matter of the Gutta Serena from the Head; or in their place a Seta∣ceum may be administred, which is of great use in this Disease.

Diet-drinks made of Sarza-parilla, Guaicum, Sassafras, mixed with spe∣cificks for the Eyes, often prove very advantageous, as they provoke Sweat, and discharge ill Humors, offensiveto the Nerves, animal Spirits and Li∣quor.

Electuaries made of Conserve of Roses, Flowers of Betony, Lime, Lilly of the Valley, Condite Mirabolans, Powder of Eyebright, Salendine the great, Vervain, and that of Millepedes, mixed and made up with Syrup of Lime-Flowers, or Lillys of the Valley, may be taken three times a day, drinking after it a draught of a cephalick Apozeme.

To corroborate the Brain and Eyes after other Medicines have been pre∣mised, Cephalick Powders may be sprinkled upon the Hair; as also Fumes of the same nature may be received into the Nostrils, and Caps made of Co∣phalicks and Spices may be very useful in a Gutta Serena.

The Retina, or Retiform Tunicle is near akin to the optick Nerves, as being a fine Filme made of numerous optick Filaments, curiously spun and interwoven, so that their Coat may be justly styled an expansion of the op∣tick Nerves.

This curious Membrane is the chief Organ of Sight, (to which all the Coats, Humors, and other parts of the Eye are ministerial) as the visible objects make their ultimate Appulses upon it, which perfects and deter∣mines the Sight.

This Tunicle hath a peculiar Substance Figure, Situation, Vessels, and Connexion, with the neighbouring parts, which being vitiated the Sight is either lessened or abolished.

First its smoothness (which its mucous Matter makes) may be spoiled, so that it may grow unequal and wrinkled, as being contracted, so that it is prominent in some parts, and depressed in others; whence the visible Images are darkly and confusedly represented.

This Inequality may happen when the optick Nerves (as the Retina is their medullary substance dilated) are too much relaxed by the moisture, or dried by heat.

The Density of this Coat may much incommode Vision, which may pro∣ceed from drops of gross Liquor, distilling out of the extremity of the ca∣rotide Arteries, into the substance of the Retina.

Notes

• A Gutta Se∣rena.
• The First cause of a Gutta Serena.
• The Second cause of it.
• The Third cause.
• The optick Nerves may be a Fourth cause.
• A Fifth cause of a Gutta Serena, is an irregular mo∣tion of the Animal Spi∣rits.
• The cure of a Gutta Sere∣na.
• The wrinkles of the Retina.
• The cause of this Disease.
• The Density of this Coat.