[The denominations cataract and glaucoma]

Since ancient times a grey or white pupil in an nearly blind eye was thought to be caused by a mucous substance in front of the lens. It was called "hypochysis" or "hypochyma" in Greece and "suffusio" in Rome. Later the term "cataract" (=waterfall) was the most popular denomination. A surgical method was tried very early with usually good effect, when with a thin needle, introduced into the eye, the opaque material was removed from the pupillary area. In the middle of the 17th century more careful investigations showed that there was no membrane in front of the lens, but the lens itself was opaque. The final proof was delivered when an extraction of the lens was performed with good effect. In ancient times incurable blindness, which was called glaucoma, was thought to be located to the lens, which probably had a very important role in the seeing process. The name (of Greek orgin) is translated "green" or "blue-green", which was sometimes notified to be the color of the lens, seen through the pupil, in these cases. A period of great confusion followed when the removal of this very important part of the eye did not lead to blindness but rather an improved vision. As there were significant difficulties in identifying the specific color of the pupil the name glaucoma seemed to be very inadequate. In the beginning of the 19th century a disease entity (which is to-day called acute closed-angle glaucoma) seemed to eventually fullfill the demand of a greenlooking pupil. The most characteristic symptoms are pain and a high intraocular pressure causing a corneal edema and a change of the blackness of the pupil to hazy grey (and maybe a little green?).