Further Studies on the Regeneration of the Aqueous in Man

If the aqueous of a human eye is aspirated through a fine hypodermic needle, introduced into the anterior chamber through the periphery of the cornea, several reactive processes are set up within the eye.∗ The formation of new intraocular fluid and characteristic reactive fluctuations of the intraocular pressure are probably the most important of these processes. We reported 1 the results of experiments which were undertaken to determine the rate of formation of new intraocular fluid. The anterior chambers of human eyes which, from the viewpoint of the clinician, appeared to be nearly normal were emptied completely by ACP and the amounts of fluid thus obtained measured. One hour later this procedure was repeated whereby the amounts of fluid regenerated in one hour were obtained. These data were interpreted to indicate independence of the rate of fluid regeneration from the original chamber volume. “According to these data, the regeneration of the aqueous takes place at the same absolute rate in all the eyes represented in the table, the result being that an originally deeper chamber.” This interpretation was corroborated by the results of experiments in which the intraocular tension was followed after ACP. The so-called restoration time (the interval between the ACP and the time at which the original level of tension is reached again) was found to be directly dependent upon the original volume of the chamber, longer restoration times being characteristic of eyes which had deeper anterior chambers originally and vice versa.

In the same communication it was also reported that the intensity of some of the other reactive changes which follow ACP appears to be proportional to the intensity of the eliciting stimulus, that is, to the amount of fluid withdrawn or, in other words, to the amount of fluid originally contained in the anterior chamber.