The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-08-02

TranspIantfng Membrane from the Rye
OF Rabbit to Restore Sight to
the Blind.


A DELEGATE operation was recently per-
formed on the eye of David Wicket
sham, of MIddletown, o., on which a
correspondent Of the Cleveland Herald
writes: Mr.. Wickersham. the patient,
has been blind for the past theee or touk
years, and sufferer fors many geefs
with granular eyelIds, which slowly, b
contraction of the conjunctiya, caused
the lids to become grown FAST 10 the
eye-balls, or what is called in medical
terms "anchytOblepharOn." The re-
naming cnnjunctiva become abnormal
ly dry, and in time was converted into
true integument, or skin, being Opaque,
thereby producing blindness. The OPP
Grafton consisted in Sitting the neoplas
tic membrane, OF skin from outer tn In
ner cantaus, or cerner of tho eye, and
shaving 1t carefully from OffSeotner and
eyeball, when cOnjHRctiva of q live
rabbit was transplanted to the eye of
the patient for the purpose of convert
ing the globe and lining the upper and
lower lids. Readers can imagine the
delicacy OF such an operation; first the
caution and delicacy required TO slit this
skin across the eyeball and dissect it
from the ball, thus freeing the lids that
had grown fast; the constant effort re-
CURED t. remove the blood that continu-
ally OuZes from the numerous small YES
sells, that the doctor might see we'll
| where his keen edge touched, lest by
the varying of hairs breath the chanc-
es of success be gone. Then the prep
aration of thesconinnctiva of the rabbit,
which, to do properly and skillfully, is
as fine an operation as could fall To- the
| PROVING asurgeOa. The membrane,
as ielica g and thin ss the finest tissue
paper, was carefully feInoYt4l without a
cut or tear rem the lids 81 the eye of the
animal, l;l,l ptaced IA t,t. s4nIu irI,llve
| positsoD On tine eyes0f The patient To
do this the doctor commenced by max
ing an Inclsion along the edge of the up
| per lid, then Carefully removing this
| from the lid and upper part of the ball.
| Numerous threads of fine silk with a
needle on each end were then passed
| through the outer edgeof the Membrane,
| to be afterwards used 70 retain it In
| place when removed 70 the patients
eye. Then commenclnR 90 the edge of
the lower lid the conj1nctfva is remOy-
ed in the same manner from lower lid
and corresponding portion of the eye
ball and the whole conjunctival mem
brane except that covering the cornia or
clear part of the rabbits eye. This
when spread out by means of the mum.
erous threads inserted into the edge,
was sufficient to cover the eyeball and
lids of the aatient and yet so delicate
that were the silken cords not in prop
er position to handle it, it would con.
tract itself into little bunch smaller
than grain of wheat The conjuncti.
va, being perfectly cleansed by little
warm water that the vitality be not de
stroyed, was quietly placed in proper
position, and then il could be seen how
suture with a needle on either enc
could be used. The edges that were re
J moved from the edge of the lids on the
, rabbits eye were drawn under the lids
The needles were drawn through ths
lids at the highest point that had been
denuded; then the same with the lowe
lid. This beng done, the membrane
} was drawn evenly over the Who'll,
surface by drawing each thread TO il
proper place, and the ends of each SD
: ture tied. This finished the operatioi
: and inlthe course OF few weeks when tn
' Inflammation following such violenc
: TO the delicate organ has subsidized, tn
healing process completed, then the lids
once bound down with fold OF flesh
!. will glide smoothly over the CLASSY bal
: the once Opaque cornia will trapsmi
o light, and the man so long shrouded i
darkness will look forth on Gods beau
tlful earth with 3 delight known TO onl
him who once was blind and now see