Glaucoma has been nicknamed the “sneak thief of sight” because the loss of visual field often occurs gradually over a 
long time and may only be recognized when it is already quite advanced. Once lost, this damaged visual field can never be recovered (source: wikipedia.org).
The article described about the origin of glaucoma osmotic therapy. It started at 1904, it was the first to show the importance osmotic agents of chlorides in the maintenance of the equilibrium of the body-fluids, and stimulated by the investigations of some researchers at 1903 on the upset of that equilibrium caused by deranged renal excretion, then had been used to treat 17 cases of glaucoma, with good results in 12, by the oral administration of salt.
About ten years later, a further small series treated successfully by the injection of 150 to 200 c.c. of a 10 per cent. solution of salt, then many methods have been tried such the inhibitory action of the calcium ion on exudation and transudation, used calcium chloride subconjunctivally, the injection of 5 c.c. of the 30 percent solution in acute glaucomas, and by the prolonged and continuous intravenous injection of sugar.
There were also description of short note of an initial series of four cases of glaucoma, treated by an intravenous injection of concentrated salt solution in detailed data of patient’s condition including tecnique used, The Dangers of Hypertonic Injection, and osmotic therapy clinical indications.
Download this British Journal of Ophtalmology about Osmotic Agents for Glaucoma Therapy for six pages of 636 Kb PDF filetype (source image: macfarlaneoptometrist.com.au)
