Ophthalmia

"Ophthalmitis" redirects here. For the genus of geometer moth, see Ophthalmitis (moth).

Ophthalmia (also called ophthalmitis) is inflammation of the eye. It is a medical sign which may be indicative of various conditions, including sympathetic ophthalmia (inflammation of both eyes following trauma to one eye), gonococcal ophthalmia, trachoma or "Egyptian" ophthalmia, ophthalmia neonatorum (a conjunctivitis of the newborn due to either of the two previous pathogens), actinic conjunctivitis (inflammation resulting from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays), and others.

Noted historical sufferers

• Hannibal's sight was lost in his right eye in 223 B.C. by what was likely ophthalmia.

• Citing Galatians 4:13-15 and 6:11, Restoration Movement scholar J. W. McGarvey theorized that ophthalmia may have very well been the Apostle Paul's "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7).^[1]

• King John of Bohemia, who died in battle in 1346 at age 50 after being blind for a decade, lost his sight to this general condition.

• Ophthalmitis was a common disease of sailors, possibly related to scurvy or poor nutrition. In the book "Negro Builders and Heroes" by Benjamin Brawley in the chapter entitled "The Wake of the Slave-Ship" is described this condition afflicting, on slave ships, sometimes the whole crew and captive slaves. Christopher Columbus suffered ophthalmitis late in his life.

• Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician in the United States, lost an eye from purulent ophthalmia contracted from an infant with an eye infection, while working in Paris at La Maternité (1849), and after loss of the eye could no longer be a surgeon.

• The Spanish composer and guitar virtuoso Francisco Tárrega also suffered from ophthalmia and seriously impaired sight after a traumatic childhood event (1850s).

• Richard Henry Dana, Jr., author of the American classic, Two Years Before the Mast (1840), developed "a weakness of the eyes" after contracting measles while a junior at Harvard College. In an attempt to cure his condition, he undertook a two-year sailing voyage to California from Boston via Cape Horn, which provided the experiences for his memoir. The cure worked.

1. ^ J. W. McGarvey and P. Y. Pendleton, Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans (Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, n.d.) 236.

This medical sign article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Medical signs Diseases of the eye and adnexa Eye stubs Medical sign stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат? Adolfo Alix, Jr. OMX Nordic 40 Look at other dictionaries: Ophthalmia — Oph*thal mi*a ([o^]f*th[a^]l m[i^]*[.a]), n. [F. ophthalmie, L. ophthalmia, fr. Gr. ofqalmi a, fr. ofqalmo s the eye, akin to E. optic. See {Optic}.] (Med.) An inflammation of the membranes or coats of the eye or of the eyeball. Syn: ophthalmitis …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English ophthalmia — (n.) inflammation of the eye, conjunctivitis, late 14c., from Gk. ophthalmia, from ophthalmos (see OPHTHALMO (Cf. ophthalmo )) + IA (Cf. ia) …   Etymology dictionary ophthalmia — [äf΄thal mīt′is, äf΄thəlmīt′isäf thal′mē ə] n. [ME obtalmia < LL ophthalmia < Gr < ophthalmos, the eye: see OPHTHALMO ] a severe inflammation of the eyeball or conjunctiva: also ophthalmitis [äf΄thal mīt′is, äf΄thəlmīt′is] …   English World dictionary Ophthalmia — vgl. Ophthalmie …   Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke ophthalmia — ► NOUN Medicine ▪ inflammation of the eye, especially conjunctivitis. ORIGIN Greek, from ophthalmos eye …   English terms dictionary ophthalmia — noun Etymology: Middle English obtalmia, from Late Latin ophthalmia, from Greek, from ophthalmos eye; akin to Greek ōps eye more at eye Date: 14th century inflammation of the conjunctiva or the eyeball …   New Collegiate Dictionary ophthalmia — ophthalmiac /of thal mee ak , op /, n. /of thal mee euh, op /, n. inflammation of the eye, esp. of its membranes or external structures. [1350 1400; < LL < Gk ophthalmía, equiv. to ophthalm(ós) eye + ia IA; r. ME obtalmia < ML, LL as above] * * * …   Universalium Ophthalmia — Inflammation of the eye. Also known as ophthalmitis. * * * 1. Severe, often purulent, conjunctivitis. 2. Inflammation of the deeper structures of the eye. [G.] catarrhal o. a mild form of conjunctivitis with mucopurulent secretion. caterpillar… …   Medical dictionary ophthalmia — n. inflammation of the eye, particularly the conjunctiva (see conjunctivitis). Sympathetic ophthalmia is a granulomatous uveitis affecting all parts of the uveal tract of both eyes that may develop after perforating trauma or (more rarely) after… …   The new mediacal dictionary ophthalmia — oph•thal•mi•a [[t]ɒfˈθæl mi ə, ɒp [/t]] n. oph inflammation of the eye, esp. of its membranes or external structures • Etymology: 1350–1400; ME obtalmia < MLophthalmia, LL < Gk ophthalmía=ophthalm(ós) eye + ia ia …   From formal English to slang 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”