Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801)
New World plants, such as tobacco, tomato, and chili, were held to have beneficial effects on the eyes. Indigenous healers rubbed or scraped the eyes or eyelids to treat inflammation, corneal opacities, and even eye irritation from smoke. European settlers used harsh treatments, such as bleeding and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1179172117721902 |
| _version_ | 1818360966252855296 |
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| author | Christopher T Leffler Stephen G Schwartz Ricardo D Wainsztein Adam Pflugrath Eric Peterson |
| author_facet | Christopher T Leffler Stephen G Schwartz Ricardo D Wainsztein Adam Pflugrath Eric Peterson |
| author_sort | Christopher T Leffler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | New World plants, such as tobacco, tomato, and chili, were held to have beneficial effects on the eyes. Indigenous healers rubbed or scraped the eyes or eyelids to treat inflammation, corneal opacities, and even eye irritation from smoke. European settlers used harsh treatments, such as bleeding and blistering, when the eyes were inflamed or had loss of vision with a normal appearance (gutta serena). In New Spain, surgery for corneal opacity was performed in 1601 and cataract couching in 1611. North American physicians knew of contralateral loss of vision after trauma or surgery (sympathetic ophthalmia), which they called “sympathy.” To date, the earliest identified cataract couching by a surgeon trained in the New World was performed in 1769 by John Bartlett of Rhode Island. The American Revolution negatively affected ophthalmology, as loyalist surgeons were expelled and others were consumed with wartime activities. After the war, cataract extraction was imported to America in earnest and academic development resumed. Charles F Bartlett, the son of John, performed cataract extraction but was also a “rapacious privateer.” In 1801, a doctor in the frontier territory of Kentucky observed anticholinergic poisoning by Datura stramonium (Jimsonweed) and suggested that this agent be applied topically to dilate the pupil before cataract extraction. John Warren at Harvard preferred couching in the 1790s, but, after his son returned from European training, recommended treating angle closure glaucoma by lens extraction. Other eye procedures described or advertised in America before the 19th century included enucleation, resection of conjunctival lesions or periocular tumors, treatment of lacrimal fistula, and fitting of prosthetic eyes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:09:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9cf8f550499448db933b032ffab05a11 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-1721 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:09:11Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-9cf8f550499448db933b032ffab05a112022-12-21T23:31:24ZengSAGE PublishingOphthalmology and Eye Diseases1179-17212017-07-01910.1177/1179172117721902Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801)Christopher T Leffler0Stephen G Schwartz1Ricardo D Wainsztein2Adam Pflugrath3Eric Peterson4Department of Ophthalmology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USADepartment of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Naples, FL, USAInstituto de la Visión, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USADepartment of Ophthalmology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USANew World plants, such as tobacco, tomato, and chili, were held to have beneficial effects on the eyes. Indigenous healers rubbed or scraped the eyes or eyelids to treat inflammation, corneal opacities, and even eye irritation from smoke. European settlers used harsh treatments, such as bleeding and blistering, when the eyes were inflamed or had loss of vision with a normal appearance (gutta serena). In New Spain, surgery for corneal opacity was performed in 1601 and cataract couching in 1611. North American physicians knew of contralateral loss of vision after trauma or surgery (sympathetic ophthalmia), which they called “sympathy.” To date, the earliest identified cataract couching by a surgeon trained in the New World was performed in 1769 by John Bartlett of Rhode Island. The American Revolution negatively affected ophthalmology, as loyalist surgeons were expelled and others were consumed with wartime activities. After the war, cataract extraction was imported to America in earnest and academic development resumed. Charles F Bartlett, the son of John, performed cataract extraction but was also a “rapacious privateer.” In 1801, a doctor in the frontier territory of Kentucky observed anticholinergic poisoning by Datura stramonium (Jimsonweed) and suggested that this agent be applied topically to dilate the pupil before cataract extraction. John Warren at Harvard preferred couching in the 1790s, but, after his son returned from European training, recommended treating angle closure glaucoma by lens extraction. Other eye procedures described or advertised in America before the 19th century included enucleation, resection of conjunctival lesions or periocular tumors, treatment of lacrimal fistula, and fitting of prosthetic eyes.https://doi.org/10.1177/1179172117721902 |
| spellingShingle | Christopher T Leffler Stephen G Schwartz Ricardo D Wainsztein Adam Pflugrath Eric Peterson Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801) Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases |
| title | Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801) |
| title_full | Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801) |
| title_fullStr | Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801) |
| title_short | Ophthalmology in North America: Early Stories (1491-1801) |
| title_sort | ophthalmology in north america early stories 1491 1801 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/1179172117721902 |
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