Eye surgery

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn
July 15, 1606, Leiden - October 14, 1669, Amsterdam, Netherlands

♦ Tobias heals his blind father / Tobit and Angel Healing ♦

Tobit, Tobias' father, lived in exile and became blind—at least according to the Bible—after burying children of Israel.

'I came home in the middle of the night, washed myself, and lay down to sleep against the wall of the courtyard. Because it was so warm, I left my face uncovered. But I hadn't seen that there were sparrows sitting on the wall above me. Their still-warm droppings fell into my eyes and formed white films. I visited all kinds of doctors to have this remedied, but the more they treated my eyes, the less I could see through those films. Finally, I went completely blind and remained so for four years. (Tobit2, 9-10)

♦ Diagnosis
Main symptoms: Blindness, eye surgery, treatment with ointment.
Side effects: Elderly man exposed to corrosive substance (sparrow droppings)
Klinische diagnose: Beschadiging van het hoornvlies (cornea) door giftige verwonding

♦ Definition: cornea
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eyeball. It covers approximately one sixth of the circumference of the eyeball.

♦ Discussion
The story of the healing of Tobit's blindness by his son Tobias is described as follows in the Bible:
'Before Tobias reached his father, Raphael said, "Your father will definitely be able to see again. Put the bile in his eyes, and the membranes will shrink and come loose, and then he will be able to see the light again." Anna rushed to her son and threw her arms around him. "There you are," she sobbed, "now I can die in peace."
Tobit had risen and shuffled through the gate of the courtyard to the outside. Tobias came to meet him with the gall of the fish and blew into his eyes. "Take courage, father," he said as he took him by the hand. He applied the medicine and pulled the membranes from the corners of his eyes with both hands. Tobit threw his arms around Tobias. Weeping, he said, "I can see again, my son. You are the light of my eyes." (Tobit 11:7-14) Source: Jan Dequeker

Jan Dequeker
The artist and the doctor look at paintings

Photos
wikipedia.org