Mr. F. J., the subject of the present memoir, is the son of a physician; of scrofulous diathesis, but otherwise of robust constitution; of irritable temperament, but of contented and happy disposition; and endowed with an excellent understanding, quick power of conception, and retentive memory. In both the eyes of his father, cataract (with the addition, I suspect, of glaucoma) has manifested itself within the last four years, after a severe attack of influenza. The relatives on the paternal side are predisposed to diseases of the eye, but in the mother, and in the relatives on her side, no such predisposition can be traced. With regard to the cause of the ophthalmic affections which form the subject of this paper, the mother seemed to lay much stress on the following circumstance, which, although it may possibly have had some share in the cause of one of them, can have had no influence, in my opinion, in producing the other. She stated to me that in the eighth month of her pregnancy, which up to this period had proceeded favourably, she received from her youngest child, which she was carrying in her arms, a severe blow on the eye. This accident caused inflammation of the eye, accompanied with a curious visual illusion, viz. that all objects which she saw, but especially those situated on the ground, appeared of a deep concave form; an illusion which lasted for several months. The fright experienced from the accident also brought on convulsions, which, recurring several times, extended even to the fœtus. The recurrence of these convulsions produced in the mind of the mother a continual anxiety and fear for the health of the child, while the pain arising from the ophthalmia, together with the visual illusion just mentioned, gave her fears a direction more especially towards its eyes. Delivery took place at the proper period, when the eyes of the infant, which was otherwise healthy and well-formed, were found to present a twofold defect of organization. The father, to whose statement, on account of his professional knowledge, more weight is to be attached, informed me that both eyes were turned inwards to such an extent that a portion of the cornea was hidden by the inner canthus, and that in both pupils a yellowish-white discoloration was to be observed, which, being situated behind the iris, could not be the pupillary membrane. That the strabismus and cataract of both eyes in this case were congenital, is evident from the testimony both of the parents and of the nurse, whom I have closely questioned on this subject. The latter, who can distinctly remember all the circumstances of the case, told me that when the child was a few months old, she held a light before its eyes, of which it took no notice. I ascertained also from her that the eye-balls had not that restless motion which is generally observed in those who are born blind, but that both eyes were always turned inwards, and that but rarely either the one or the other was moved from the internal canthus. It was also stated to me, that towards the end of the second year the operation of keratonyxis was performed on the right eye, upon which a severe iritis ensued, terminating in atrophy of the eye-ball. Within the next four years two similar operations were performed on the left eye, which did not indeed destroy the organ, but at the same time did not remove the opacity in the pupil. The colour of the opacity became in time, however, of a clearer white; and the patient acquired a certain sensation of light, which he did not seem to have had before the operation. Both eyes for a long time retained a disposition to inflammation, and suffered repeatedly from conjunctivitis, whence the vessels of the conjunctiva were increased in number and size to such an extent, that it was necessary they should be several times excised.
Seeing God. Thomas Aquinas on Divine Presence in the World
