The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-07-18
The Daily Bulletin.
A DELICATE OPERATION.
Transplanting Membrane from the Eye OF
ahabbit 10 Restore Sight to the Blind.


"A delicate operation was recently per-
formed on the eye Of David Wicker
sham, OF Middleton, o., on which cor
respondent Of the Cleveland Herald
writes: Mr. Wickersham, the patient,
has been blind for the past three or four
years, and sufferer for many wears
with granular eyelds, which slowly, by
contraction OF the conjunctiva, caused
lhe mas 10 become grown fast to the
eye-balls, or what is called in medical
terms "anchytoblepharon" The re-
naming conjunctya became abnormal
ly dry, and in time was converted into
true integument, or skin, being Opaque,
thereby producing blindness. The op-
Grafton consisted in Sitting the neoplas-
TIC membrane, or skin, from outer TO in
ner cantaus, or corner Of the eve, and
shaving 1t carefully from off corner and
eye0all, when cOnjunctiva of live
rabbit was transplanted to the eve 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 operations; 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 to remove the flood that contin-
ually oozes from the numerous small
vessels, that the doctor might see well
where his keen edge touched, lest by
the varying ola hair breath the chances
OF success be gone Then the prep
aratlon OF the conjunctiya OF the rabbit
which, to do properly and skillfully, is
as me an operation as could fall 10 the
province of asurgeon, The membrane,
as delicate and thin as the finest tissue
paper, was carefully removed without a
cut or tear from The lids and eye Of the
animal, and placed in the same relative
position on the eye Of the patient. To
do this the doctor commenced by max
ing an lnclsion along the edge of the
upper 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 edge of the mem
brane, to be afterward used TO retain it
In place when removed TO the patients
eye. Then, commencing on the edge Of
the lower lid, the conjunctiya is remov-
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 eve This,
when spread out by means Of the num-
erous threads inserted into the edge,
was sufficient TO cover the eyeball and
lids Of the patient, and yet so delicate
that We're 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 coniuncti-
va, being perfectly cleansed by little
warm wator that the vitality be not de-
stroyed, was quickly placed in proper
position, and then ii could be seen how
a suture with q needle on either end
could be used The edges that were
removed from the edge Of the lids on
the rabbits eye were drawn under the
lids The needles were drawn through
the lids at the highest point that had
been denuded; then the same with the
lower lid. This being done, the mem
brane was drawn evenly over the whole
surface by drawing each thread to its
proper place, and the ends Of each SUI
lure tied, This finished the operation
and in the course Of few weeks when
the INFLAMMATION following such violence
10 the delicate organ has subsidized the
healing process completed, then the
lids once bound down with fold of flesh,
will glide smoothly over the CLASSY
ball, the once Opaque cornia will trans
nit light, and the man so long shrouded
in dark 'esS will look forth on Gods
beautiful Srth with delight known TO
only him once was blind and now
sees.