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Science Forum Index » Medicine - Vision Forum » Floating Specks
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| Zetsu |
 Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:00 am |
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[...Floating Specks
A very common phenomenon of imperfect sight is the one known to
medical science as muscae volitantes, or flying flies. These floating
specks are usually dark, or black; but sometimes appear like white
bubbles, and in rare cases may assume all the colors of the rainbow.
They move somewhat rapidly, usually in curving lines, before the eyes,
and always appear to be just beyond the point of fixation. If one
tries to look at them directly, they seem to move a little farther
away. Hence their name of flying flies.
The literature of the subject is full of speculations as to the origin
of these appearances. Some have attributed them to the presence of
floating specks--dead cells or the debris of cells--in the vitreous
humor, the transparent substance that fills four-fifths of the eyeball
behind the crystalline lens. Similar specks on the surface of the
cornea have also been held responsible for them. It has even been
surmised that they might be caused by the passage of tears over the
cornea. They are so common in myopia that they have been supposed to
be one of the symptoms of this condition, although they occur also
with other errors of refraction, as well as in eyes otherwise normal.
They have been attributed to disturbances of the circulation, the
digestion and the kidneys, and because so many insane people have
them, have been thought to be an evidence of incipient insanity. The
patent-medicine business has thrived upon them, and it would be
difficult to estimate the amount of mental torture they have caused,
as the following cases illustrate.
A clergyman who was much annoyed by the continual appearance of
floating specks before his eyes was told by his eye specialist that
they were a symptom of kidney disease, and that in many cases of
kidney trouble, disease of the retina might be an early symptom. So at
regular intervals he went to the specialist to have his eyes examined,
and when at length the latter died, he looked around immediately for
some one else to make the periodical examination. His family physician
directed him to me. I was by no means so well known as his previous
ophthalmological adviser, but it happened that I had taught the family
physician how to use the ophthalmoscope after others had failed to do
so. He thought, therefore, that I must know a lot about the use of the
instrument, and what the clergyman particularly wanted was some one
capable of making a thorough examination of the interior of his eyes,
and detecting at once any signs of kidney disease that might make
their appearance. So he came to me, and at least four times a year for
ten years be continued to come.
Each time I made a very careful examination of his eyes, taking as
much time over it as possible, so that he would believe that it was
careful; and each time he went away happy because I could find nothing
wrong. Once when I was out of town he got a cinder in his eye and went
to another oculist to get it out. When I came back late at night I
found him sitting on my doorstep, on the chance that I might return.
His story was a pitiable one. The strange doctor had examined his eyes
with the ophthalmoscope, and had suggested the possibility of
glaucoma, describing the disease as a very treacherous one which might
cause him to go suddenly blind and would be agonizingly painful. He
emphasized what the patient had previously been told about the danger
of kidney disease, suggested that the liver and heart might also be
involved, and advised him to have all of these organs carefully
examined. I made another examination of his eyes in general and their
tension in particular; I had him feel his eyeballs and compare them
with my own, so that he might see for himself that they were not
becoming hard as a stone; and finally I succeeded in reassuring him. I
have no doubt, however, that he went at once to his family physician
for an examination of his internal organs.
A man returning from Europe was looking at some white clouds one day
when floating specks appeared before his eyes. He consulted the ship's
doctor, who told him that the symptom was very serious, and might be
the forerunner of blindness. It might also indicate incipient
insanity, as well as other nervous or organic diseases. He advised him
to consult his family physician and an eye specialist as soon as he
landed, which he did. This was twenty-five years ago, but I shall
never forget the terrible state of nervousness and terror into which
the patient had worked himself by the time he came to me. It was even
worse than that of the clergyman, who was always ready to admit that
his fears were unreasonable. I examined his eyes very carefully, and
found them absolutely normal. The vision was perfect both for the near-
point and the distance. The color perception, the fields and the
tension were normal; and under a strong magnifying glass I could find
no opacities in the vitreous. In short, there were absolutely no
symptoms of any disease. 1 told the patient there was nothing wrong
with his eyes, and I also showed him an advertisement of a quack
medicine in a newspaper which gave a great deal of space to describing
the dreadful things likely to follow the appearance of floating specks
before the eyes, unless you began betimes to take the medicine in
question at one dollar a bottle. I pointed out that the advertisement,
which was appearing in all the big newspapers of the city every day,
and probably in other cities, must have cost a lot of money, and must,
therefore, be bringing in a lot of money. Evidently there must be a
great many people suffering from this symptom, and if it were as
serious as was generally believed, there would be a great many more
blind and insane people in the community than there were. The patient
went away somewhat comforted, but at eleven o'clock--his first visit
had been at nine--he was back again. He still saw the floating specks,
and was still worried about them. I examined his eyes again as
carefully as before, and again was able to assure him that there was
nothing wrong with them. In the afternoon I was not in my office, but
I was told that he was there at three and at five. At seven he came
again, bringing with him his family physician, an old friend of mine.
I said to the latter:
"Please make this patient stay at home. I have to charge him for his
visits, because he is taking up so much of my time; but it is a shame
to take his money when there is nothing wrong with him."
What my friend said to him I don't know, but he did not come back
again.
I did not know as much about muscae volitantes then as I know now, or
I might have saved both of these patients a great deal of uneasiness.
I could tell them that their eyes were normal, but I did not know how
to relieve them of the symptom, which is simply an illusion resulting
from mental strain. The specks are associated to a considerable extent
with markedly imperfect eyesight, because persons whose eyesight is
imperfect always strain to see; but persons whose eyesight is
ordinarily normal may see them at times, because no eye has normal
sight all the time. Most people can see muscae volitantes when they
look at the sun, or any uniformly bright surface, like a sheet of
white paper upon which the sun is shining. This is because most people
strain when they look at surfaces of this kind. The specks are never
seen, in short, except when the eyes and mind are under a strain, and
they always disappear when the strain is relieved. If one can remember
a small letter on the Snellen test card by central fixation, the
specks will immediately disappear, or cease to move; but if one tries
to remember two or more letters equally well at one time, they will
reappear and move.
Usually the strain that causes muscae volitantes is very easily
relieved...]
- Dr. W. H. Bates, October 1919 |
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| Zetsu |
| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:27 am |
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| And, they can be cured by rest methods. |
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| Jason Sperry |
| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:34 am |
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On Apr 14, 11:14 am, Jan <nos...@nospam.nl> wrote:
Quote: Zetsu schreef:
[...Floating Specks
major snip in old stuff publist just after WW I
Yes,and?
Why are you asking such stupid questions? |
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| Jan |
| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:14 pm |
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Zetsu schreef:
Quote: [...Floating Specks
major snip in old stuff publist just after WW I
Yes,and?
Jan (normally Dutch spoken) |
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| Jan |
| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:48 pm |
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Zetsu schreef:
Quote: And, they can be cured by rest methods.
Nonsense.
Jan (normally Dutch spoken) |
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| Jan |
| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:52 pm |
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Jason Sperry schreef:
Quote: On Apr 14, 11:14 am, Jan <nos...@nospam.nl> wrote:
Zetsu schreef:
[...Floating Specks
major snip in old stuff publist just after WW I
Yes,and?
Why are you asking such stupid questions?
I suppose your brother in law can speak for himself?
Jan (normally Dutch spoken) |
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