SECT. X.—ON LAGOPHTHALMOS OR HARE-EYE.
Those persons are said to have hare-eyes who have the eyelids drawn upwards. This complaint arises either naturally or from the cicatrix of a wound, and this may have occurred spontaneously, or from the operations of the suture or burning (as just mentioned) having been improperly performed; in which case even a moderate relief can only be accomplished when the eyelid is sufficiently thick. For we must divide the cicatrix, and having separated the lips with a tent, use bandages until the cure is completed, avoiding such things as are very desiccative, and having recourse to those which are fatty and relaxing, such as the juice of fenugreek poured on the part, and the ointment prepared with four ingredients called basilicon, applied on a tent.
Commentary. See Celsus (vii, 7); Aëtius (vii, 71); Albucasis (Chirurg. ii, 13); Avicenna (iii, 3, 3, 12); Haly Abbas (Pract. ix, 20); Rhases (Cont. ii, 4.)
Celsus directs us to make a lunated incision below the eyebrows, the horns of the incision being turned downwards, and care being taken not to wound the muscles. A tent or pledget of lint is to be put into this incision to prevent the edges of it from uniting. This simple operation is described in nearly the same terms by Aëtius, Albucasis, Avicenna, Haly Abbas, and Rhases.
Fabricius ab Aquapendente informs us that the operation had fallen into disuse in his time. It is now sometimes practised. See Scultet, (Arsen. de Chirurg. Tab. xxxiv, 8.)