Transactions of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom Volume 21 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1901 Excerpt: ... XV. MISCELLANEOUS. 1. Voluntary bilateral nystagmus. By H. Work Dodd. Mr. R. S--, aged 23 years, an organist, can produce at will rapid conjugate lateral movements--nystagmus--of his eyes. His vision and refraction are practically normal. He says, "When I desire to produce the movement, I fix my eyes on some object in front of me and simply wish to cause the vibration." When desired to show the phenomenon, he fixes his head, looks forward, opens his lids wider, and the nystagmus appears. There is no great effort involved in the procedure, although rarely it has made him feel dizzy and inclined to have a headache. He can perform while looking up, down, or laterally, at a distant object or at a near one; also while under the influence of a mydriatic. He says the things looked at move from right to left, and vice versa, and thus only does he become aware of the vibrations. He has never been able to "shake his eyes" in any other directions. There has never been any indication of involuntary movements. He states that he can perform best when well and vigorous in health, when standing, and when looking straight in front at a distance. He believes that the "movements are caused by the muscles of the eyes working independently of each other, on the right and left sides of the eyes, like a pianist performing a shake between two notes with his fingers." He possesses a romarkable control over his ocular muscles, being able to converge vigorously, etc., when desired. He first found out that he possessed this peculiar accomplishment about fourteen years ago, by accident, when staring hard at another boy in school. There is apparently nothing indicating the existence of nervous disease in his present state, nor in his family history. He has a patch of old choroido-retina...