Involuntary Iridectomy

Sir,?As Captain Duer suggests i" the Indian Medical Gazette, October 1901, it would interest us much to hear more from our experienced operators of the cause of this accident of involuntary iridectomy. I have often wondered why more has not been said about it. When it has happened to me I have always put it down to want of skill. Perhaps it has been so. I do not believe that it is always due to incomplete anaesthesia as it has happened, to my knowledge, when the patient has been completely anaesthetised with chloroform. 1 have also seen it occur when operating on the dead subject. One cause for the accident is no doubt, as " minor operation " suggests, too rapid escape of aqueous humour due to rotation of the knife in making the corneal incision. Incomplete anaetliesia may be another cause. As to its prevention, Swanzy advocates the use of eserine and states in his book that he makes a practice of using it. This prevents prolapse of the iris, he says, during the operation. My small experience confirms what lie says. There is a further advantage in using eserine. It enables one to obtain a small neat coloboma when an iridectomy is performed.