Evening star., 1940-10-17
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

unmistakable in its portent, was de-
scribed before the Medical Society
of the District of Columbia today
by DR.. William Thornwall Davis
professor of opthalmology at George
Washington University.
1t appears, he said, in the form OF
circular shadow on the retina, the
nerve call layer which is the essen
tial organ OF vision and is an out
ward extension of the brain. This
retina can be seen by the physician
by means of an opthalmascope or
now can be photographed in colors
by recently developed methods
which constitute a major advance
in eye diagnosis.
AS q rule, he said, the shadow ap-
pears in men of late middle age who
seem In perfect health and are as
active as ever. Some morning such
an individual finds he cannot read
the newspaper. The night before he
could read well enough with the aid
of glasses. When he goes to an eye
doctor the strange shadow is likely
to be overlooked.
Crisis Is Repeated.
After a few days. DR.. Davis said
the sight may come back very close
to normal. Then there is another
crisis of the same sort. Fluctuations
follow every few days but the case
is almost hopeless The man can
be expected to die shortly of heart
or cerebral embolism. 1t is a sign,
he said, of development of high
blood pressure with none of the ordi-
nary symptoms preceding a critical
stage
The delicate blood vessels of the
eye have long been known to ply
sicians as indicators of hyperten-
sion. When contortions and hem
orrhages are seen there it is an indi-
cation that the same conditions OBJ
tain in the brain, made up of much
the same sort of tissue. Recently
developed methods, however, have
made possible finer diagnosis, DR.
David said. One Of the most i'm
portant is a general haziness over
the retina which often is the first
sign of increasing blood pressure
If detected in time, he said, it some
times makes possible complete cure
of the condition. Once definite blood
vessel changes are found, usually
in about the fourth decade Of life,
the hypertension is almost bound to
be progressive.
Aided by Color Photography.
In the past these eye changes
were observable only while the ply
sician actually was looking at the
retina through the opthalmascope
Extreme skill was required for the
appropriate observations. With the
new technique of color photography
the changes in the retina can be
studied at leisure and the eye Of the
camera operating for split second
often is sharper than that OF the
doctor.
Advisability of uncovering hidden
completes in the mind Of a high
blood pressure patient was stressed
by DR.. Edward Weiss Of Temple Uni
versity, Philadelphia.
America, as a whole, may be
showing symptoms Of mild mental
disease characterized by the de-
mands of "isolationists" to stay aloof
from world affairs, DR.: Harry Stack
Sullivan of the william A. White
Psychiatric Foundation, declared at
q public meeting Of the medical So
ciety at the Mayfiower last night.
This has been a natural develop
ment from the history Of the coun-
try which can be paralleled in the
lives OF individuals, DR.. Sullivan
said. The people Of the United
States have enjoyed the greatest
material progress in history. They
have looked ahead to unretricted
gains in the future. There is a
feeling" he said, "that this status
quo is too good to be tampered with.
Folks ask: What Is this Europe
that we should bother about it?
Many persons who acquire a little
property have the same feeling in
their individual relations. They
have tried to develop ways Of iso-
lating themselves from the folks
who poster and criticize them, the
poor who disturb their peace Of
mind, the crusaders seeking money
for causes.
But few ever have succeeded in
achieving this isolation. Those who
do come shortly to take up perma-
nent residence in prisons and men,
tai hospitals. Man Is incurably q
social animal. II cut OF from actual
companions one must commune with
imaginary creatures and when one