A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 5 : $b Diseases of the nervous system
Science
A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 5 : $b Diseases of the nervous system
Medicine -- Practice
(_δ_) The centre for visual impressions is now the best known of any
of the sensory cortical areas. The experimental studies and
pathological results of the last few years have indicated that the
occipital lobe was probably the seat of higher, organized vision (for
form and color). More recent autopsies and re-examination[10] of the
subject point to the cuneus and adjacent gray matter as the visual
centre. The anatomical arrangement is, however, peculiar and complex,
in that each cortical visual area receives impressions from one
lateral half of both retinæ, through the fasciculus opticus.
[Footnote 10: E. C. Seguin, “A Contribution to the Pathology of
Hemianopsia of Central Origin (Cortex-hemianopsia),” _Journal of
Nervous and Mental Diseases_, 1886, No. 1.]
Destructive lesion of one visual centre is therefore indicated during
{84} life by the symptom lateral hemianopsia alone (the dark
half-fields on the side opposite the lesion).
The accompanying diagram illustrates the course of the visual paths
from the eyes to the cortical centres, and the mechanism of production
of various forms of hemianopsia:
[Illustration: FIG. 8. Diagram of Visual Paths, designed to illustrate
specially Left Lateral Hemianopsia from any lesion. _L. T. F._, left
temporal half-field; _R. N. F._, right nasal half-field; _O. S._,
oculus sin.; _O. D._, oculus dexter; _N. T._, nasal and temporal
halves of retinæ; _N. O. S._, nervus opticus sin.; _N. O. D._, nervus
opticus dext.; _F. C. S._, fasciculus cruciatus sin.; _F. L. D._,
fasciculus lateralis dext.; _C._, chiasma, or decussation of fasciculi
cruciati; _T. O. D._, tractus opticus dext.; _C. G. L._, corpus
geniculatum laterale; _L. O._, lobi optici (corpus quad.); _P. O. C._,
primary optic centres, including lobus opticus, corp. genic. lat., and
pulvinar of one side; _F. O._, fasciculus opticus (Gratiolet) in the
internal capsule; _C. P._, cornu posterior; _G. A._, region of gyrus
angularis; _L. O. S._, lobus occip. sin.; _L. O. D._, lobus occip.
dext.; _Cu._, cuneus and subjacent gyri, constituting the cortical
visual centre in man. The heavy or shaded lines represent parts
connected with the right halves of both retinæ. The reader may place
the lesion as he pleases.]
{85} The following diagnostic propositions are applicable to cases
presenting the symptom lateral hemianopsia:
“1. Lateral hemianopsia always indicates an intracranial lesion on the
opposite side from the dark half-fields.
“2. Lateral hemianopsia, with pupillary immobility, optic neuritis, or
atrophy, especially if joined with symptoms of basal disease, is due
to lesion of the tractus opticus or of the primary optic centres on
one side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account