Rhodes, Andrew J.

2019-02-15T14:18:19Z

2019-02-15T14:18:19Z

1941

Before describing first my work on the bacteriol- :ogy of the conjunctiva in mine workers, and then the bacteriology of established cases of corneal ulcer, it may be as well to indicate the economic importance of hypopyon ulcer to the mining community. I cannot do this more effectively than by quoting, extensively from a communication made by Dr J.R.Paterson of Edinburgh and brought before the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom some ten years ago (Paterson, 1931). Thus, out of a series of 500 in:stances of eye "compensation" cases studied in Edinburgh there were: 223 cases of hypopyon ulcer, 64 other traumatic conditions of the eye which included cases of milder ulceration and abrasions of the cornea, 92 penetrating injuries, 35 explosion in:juries, 22 head injuries, 22 nystagmus cases and various other types of case. It can thus be seen that in Paterson's series of eye injuries involving subsequent litigation, cases of corneal ulceration formed by far the most important single group. Next, an hypopyon ulcer has most serious aftereffects, with regard to the resulting vision, and Paterson found the results "very disappointing". Thus, "out of 262 eyes with healed ulceration, 96 were below j and 158 below 6 To this number with poor vision must be added the number of 18 enucleations or eviscerations". Lastly, hypopyon ulcers require lengthy periods of treatment, and with regard to the time "off work", Paterson found the average to be 6 months in his compensation cases, but estimated that 2-3 months would represent the actual average time of essential incapacity. I can thus summarise the question of the economic importance of cases of hypopyon ulcer to the mining industry as follows: (1) About half the number of eye compensation cases are afforded by patients suffering from the effects of hypopyon ulcer. (2) The resulting vision, when work is resumed,is poor, so that the man cannot be as efficient a worker as he was before the injury. (3) In certain cases vision is so greatly reduced, or the eye actually enucleated, that return to skilled mining work is altogether out of the question. (4) Cases of the disease are unable to work for a period of 3 to 6 months. There is thus no doubt that, from the practical point of view, apart altogether from scientific interest, an investigation into the aetiology of hypopyon ulcer in mine workers would be of value, especially if it adduced evidence that the mine worker's conjunctival flora was such as to predispose him to infection on receipt of corneal injury. For such evidence would emphasize strongly the value of the wearing of prophylactic visors or eye shields by those most exposed to the risks of corneal injury, viz., the miners hewing at the face and the brushers or stone miners, and help the mining authorities in convincing these workers of the necessity for such protection.

http://hdl.handle.net/1842/33675

The University of Edinburgh

Annexe Thesis Digitisation Project 2019 Block 22

Studies on the aetiology of hypopyon ulcer of the cornea, with particular reference to the occurrence of this condition in coal and shale mine workers

Thesis or Dissertation

Doctoral

PhD Doctor of Philosophy