角膜溷濁の偏光顕微鏡所見

Polarization microscopic studies on the clouded cornea

　角膜の溷濁は入射した光が反射，散乱，吸収等を受け透過光の減少する現象である。従つてこの様な光学的現象を一つ一つ追求して行くことが角膜溷濁の本態に至る道であると考えて，私は先に生理的状態に於ける回折現象（1）ついで生理的状態及び溷濁状態の角膜に於ける光散乱現象（2）を迫求して来たが，本実験に於て角膜溷濁時にみられる角膜線維の形態学的変化の意義を明らかにした。

　角膜溷濁の本態は角膜内の光波長程度の大きさの散乱粒子の形状，大きさの変化（submicrosco-picの変化）であつて，角膜線維構造の変化（mi-croscopicな変化）は二義的な意味を有するに過ぎないのである。

The purpose of the present work is to clarify the essentiai of the clouding of the cornea. At first, the changes in the fibrous structure were investigated with the cornea fixed by alcohol and formalin, and with the cornea swollen in Ringer's solution, using a polarization microscope with crossed polaroids. Leucoma of the rabbit and human corneas were also investigated in the same way. The clouded cornea becomes transparent on drying, however, the fibrous structure was found to be changed in various way as influenced by different kinds of fixatives.