ABSTRACT
J. Hood and R. E. Hodges, in a review of the literature on ocular lesions in scurvy, cited references to the subject even before the publication of James Lind's classical monograph in 1753. J. S. Friedenwald et al. found no significant difference in intraocular pressure between normal and vitamin C-deficient guinea pigs, but they did report that the rate of refilling of the anterior chamber of the eye, after withdrawal of aqueous fluid, was markedly slower than normal in ascorbic acid deficiency. High levels of ascorbic acid have been found in other ocular tissues, notably the ciliary body, the lens, the cornea, the vitreous body and the retina, but there are wide differences in the distribution of ascorbic acid within the eye in different species. J. B. Hamilton, of Hobart, Tasmania, reported cases of intraocular haemorrhage which were diagnosed as being due to scurvy and which responded well to ascorbic acid therapy.
