on. The (Schiotz) tonometer was used daily for 70 consecutive days
and never registered more than 12-14 mm. Hg. The man had been blinded by
wood alcohol. At the time I could find no other report in the
literature, but overlooked a publication by Lewin and Guillery.
Friedenberg has since reported cases of the same nature.

If other conditions than increased tension can produce a typical
(ampulliform) glaucomatous excavation of the disc, why may not the
cavernous atrophy and cup in glaucoma be due in part at least to similar
processes, possibly in the nature of a toxic oedema of the nerve, either
in association with tension or independent of it, as contended for by
Schnabel?

Concerning Non-Surgical Measures for the Reduction of Increased
Intra-ocular Tension

BY

GEORGE EDMUND DE SCHWEINITZ, M.D.,

Philadelphia.

Only a few years ago the literature of glaucoma was big with discussions
of the comparative value of the surgical and non-surgical treatment of
glaucoma, and especially of the chronic types of this disease. Now,
thanks to the achievements of Lagrange, Fergus, Herbert and Elliot, the
value of a filtering cicatrix, although known for a long time, has
attained increased importance, due to the improvement and elaboration of
operative technic, and the medical journals of the day are weighted with
opinions and experiences from all over the world as to these surgical
measures. But true as this is, we are not yet in a position to discard
non-surgical procedures (1) because operation is not always possible,
(2) because operation is not always permitted, and (3) because in
certain circumstances operation is not advisable. Hence a glance at the
non-surgical methods of reducing increased intra-ocular tension is not
out of place, and for convenience they may be catalogued as follows:

1. Myosis produced by means of solutions of various drugs, a myosis
followed by reduction of intra-ocular tension.

2. Reduction of tension by means of various mechanical measures, notably
massage, vibration massage and suction massage, and by means of
electricity and diathermy.

3. Indirect reduction of intra-ocular tension, accomplished by lowering
general vascular pressure.

4. Reduction of ocular tension by stimulation of osmosis, of lymphagog
activity, of absorption of edema, and of capillary contractility, and by
decreasing affinity of ocular colloids for water.

1. _The Myotics._ Of these, eserin (physostigmin) and