April 1835

/55v cont'd/ Wednesday April J. The weather has quite changed very beautiful today quite as warm as one wld. ever /56r/ wish. Went down to the Hotel Dieu followed M. Chomel this morning. I like the manner of questioning patients which Physicians have at Paris there is so much system' with them. Very superior to the method of the English Physicians. There can be no doubt that Paris is a most admirable school for learning both departments of the profession scientifically. Saw two or three interesting eye diseases at Sanson's Consultation Gratuite. Breschet has nothing particular except another case of Varicocele under treatment. The man who was burnt is very poorly the head of the fibula and external condyle of femur are denuded the poor fellow will die if they don't alter their treatment. The dressing they employ is the simple cerate & the only diet is a little soup & half a portion ofbreadthis will never support his strength under a copious & long continued suppuration. M. Breschet seems to entertain some opinion of amputation. Today at U Sichel's we were overwhelmed with cases of Amaurosis a very difficult disease to recognise in its early & curable stage, as well as to benefit by treatment. We had one exceedingly interesting case, in a fine young woman there had been two cataracts M. Roux some years ago operated on them, in the left eye by extraction, in the right by abaissement.2 The former was followed by chronic Iritis, effusion oflymph & secondary capsular cataract. The lens in the right remounted3 he then extracted it violent Iritis followed, producing obliteration of pupil he then formed an artificial pupil, which enabled the patt. to distinguish the light, but not to see to conduct herself. A secondary capsular cataract has also formed here. M. Sichel intends trying the artificial pupil again. Having /56v/ first destroyed the secondry cararact. M. S. said that the reason why M. Roux's operat's. were so frequently followed by this accident, was that he did not break up the capsule sufficiently confining himself solely to forming a hole large enough to allow of the escape of the lens. Guersant was on the operation of tying carotid & iliacs. Obtained my certificate this morning from Chomel.