OPHTHALMOLOGY. TVi 2 the f
Subject of miner's nystagmus has been very much to la*e- Now that it has been made one of the scheduled diseases, the colliery proprietors, as well as the have been making special inquiries and investiniTIent, gatio its cause and cure, il there is such a thing as a ture STln^? in Bristol one does not see quite so many cases as /^ere Wp although cases are not infrequent. A very interesting
G0Verrial ?
260
progress of the medical sciences.
Ophthalmologic^!
discussion took place in July at the Oxford Congress. All the leading ophthalmic men from the colliery districts in South Wales were present, as well as many others from the North and Midland Counties of England, where collieries abound. One was rather astonished to hear of the frequency of the trouble. Several men who have the opp?r' tunity of seeing the collier at his work, and coming out of the hours of semi-darkness, declared that it was mine after
eight
50 per cent. Some even went as high as 75 per centThe late Simeon Snell, of Sheffield, was a great advocate of the cause being the faulty position in which the collier workedwhile the late Tatham Thompson, of Cardiff, was equally strong in maintaining that position had nothing to do with it, and that it was caused entirely by the work being done in semi' The discussion was long and slightly acrimoniousdarkness. as both the disputants were strong fighters. Eventually ^!e Government accepted the theory upheld by Snell, and this is the theory at present officially held by the Board of TradeTo show how opinions alter, it may be mentioned that when as
high
three
light
as
four members had spoken advocating theory of the cause, the chairman said,
or "
"
"
the To
want
0
broaden
like to hear someone wh? position theory." Out of thirty-five surgeons and four specially-appointed medical inspectors, one was found to advocate the position theory. This position theory was founded on the idea that in cutting coal the c0 lay on his right or left side, and looked upwards and outwar towards the point of his pick, thus bringing into play his obliQ11, muscles. To prove his point, Snell maintained that he ha One knows tn seen a case in an ordinary chimney-sweep. 0 this is the position of the eyes during that necessary aid to domestic life. Now that inspectors have gone down mines wor see the men at work, it is admitted that the collier never the discussion believes in the
a
little,
we
should
now
ophthalmic
It is a above the level of the eyes, but always below. ,g admitted that in mines where the naked light is used mine nystagmus is unknown. It was pointed out by severalt in a great many cases of nystagmus there was a faulty f? of the eyes, which might be looked on as a contributory Several others insisted that the nystagmus was only a^ symptom in a disease which they called miner's neurosis, is characterised which by spasm of the orbicularis, blinking and loss of vision. The importance of the last symp was that the miner failed to see the small blue cone of which forms over the safety lamp in gassy mines, and j as a warning that the ventilation is not right before any disaster occurs. Unfortunately, the time for the discussion g to limited to three hours, and the chairman had to decide ^ 3 out the faulty focus and neurosis part, and confine membe
ca^n6
photopto#
aCvVag
26l
OPHTHALMOLOGY.
nystagmus per
The
se.
upshot
of the
discussion
was
the
resolution, carried unanimously, and to be ^option ?r\varded to the Board of Trade, to the effect that the cause of Oner's nystagmus was insufficient lighting, and that the Position theory must be given up. of
a
At the
same Congress a useful paper was read by Professor of Amsterdam, entitled Scrofulosis, which is very much ae same as struma, and is known as the cause of many ailments ?* eyes, which one hesitates to call tubercular, but which are
^traub,
doubt connected with tubercle, though the tubercle bacillus
ls not
actually
found in the lesions.
.ubercle bacilli, having entered
His
theory
is that the
accumulate that there tv, ey remain for some time, producing no symptoms, and uring that time they are altered and their virus attenuated. ventually they may break out and attack various organs, ausing a modified tubercular disease. If this explanation is rue an(j sounds plausible?it will be a great comfort to any people who at meetings of medical societies describe a ondition as being strumous," and are at once questioned by e ultra-pathologist as to what he means by the word strumous. As to the treatment of syphilitic eye affections, a paper was r an
Subject of miner's nystagmus has been very much to la*e- Now that it has been made one of the scheduled diseases, the colliery proprietors, as well as the have been making special inquiries and investiniTIent, gatio its cause and cure, il there is such a thing as a ture STln^? in Bristol one does not see quite so many cases as /^ere Wp although cases are not infrequent. A very interesting
G0Verrial ?
260
progress of the medical sciences.
Ophthalmologic^!
discussion took place in July at the Oxford Congress. All the leading ophthalmic men from the colliery districts in South Wales were present, as well as many others from the North and Midland Counties of England, where collieries abound. One was rather astonished to hear of the frequency of the trouble. Several men who have the opp?r' tunity of seeing the collier at his work, and coming out of the hours of semi-darkness, declared that it was mine after
eight
50 per cent. Some even went as high as 75 per centThe late Simeon Snell, of Sheffield, was a great advocate of the cause being the faulty position in which the collier workedwhile the late Tatham Thompson, of Cardiff, was equally strong in maintaining that position had nothing to do with it, and that it was caused entirely by the work being done in semi' The discussion was long and slightly acrimoniousdarkness. as both the disputants were strong fighters. Eventually ^!e Government accepted the theory upheld by Snell, and this is the theory at present officially held by the Board of TradeTo show how opinions alter, it may be mentioned that when as
high
three
light
as
four members had spoken advocating theory of the cause, the chairman said,
or "
"
"
the To
want
0
broaden
like to hear someone wh? position theory." Out of thirty-five surgeons and four specially-appointed medical inspectors, one was found to advocate the position theory. This position theory was founded on the idea that in cutting coal the c0 lay on his right or left side, and looked upwards and outwar towards the point of his pick, thus bringing into play his obliQ11, muscles. To prove his point, Snell maintained that he ha One knows tn seen a case in an ordinary chimney-sweep. 0 this is the position of the eyes during that necessary aid to domestic life. Now that inspectors have gone down mines wor see the men at work, it is admitted that the collier never the discussion believes in the
a
little,
we
should
now
ophthalmic
It is a above the level of the eyes, but always below. ,g admitted that in mines where the naked light is used mine nystagmus is unknown. It was pointed out by severalt in a great many cases of nystagmus there was a faulty f? of the eyes, which might be looked on as a contributory Several others insisted that the nystagmus was only a^ symptom in a disease which they called miner's neurosis, is characterised which by spasm of the orbicularis, blinking and loss of vision. The importance of the last symp was that the miner failed to see the small blue cone of which forms over the safety lamp in gassy mines, and j as a warning that the ventilation is not right before any disaster occurs. Unfortunately, the time for the discussion g to limited to three hours, and the chairman had to decide ^ 3 out the faulty focus and neurosis part, and confine membe
ca^n6
photopto#
aCvVag
26l
OPHTHALMOLOGY.
nystagmus per
The
se.
upshot
of the
discussion
was
the
resolution, carried unanimously, and to be ^option ?r\varded to the Board of Trade, to the effect that the cause of Oner's nystagmus was insufficient lighting, and that the Position theory must be given up. of
a
At the
same Congress a useful paper was read by Professor of Amsterdam, entitled Scrofulosis, which is very much ae same as struma, and is known as the cause of many ailments ?* eyes, which one hesitates to call tubercular, but which are
^traub,
doubt connected with tubercle, though the tubercle bacillus
ls not
actually
found in the lesions.
.ubercle bacilli, having entered
His
theory
is that the
accumulate that there tv, ey remain for some time, producing no symptoms, and uring that time they are altered and their virus attenuated. ventually they may break out and attack various organs, ausing a modified tubercular disease. If this explanation is rue an(j sounds plausible?it will be a great comfort to any people who at meetings of medical societies describe a ondition as being strumous," and are at once questioned by e ultra-pathologist as to what he means by the word strumous. As to the treatment of syphilitic eye affections, a paper was r an
