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Ophthalmology in proverbs and aphorisms
Author(s) -
Mansour Ahmad M,
Hamam Rola N,
MehioSibai Abla
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
clinical and experimental ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.3
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1442-9071
pISSN - 1442-6404
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9071.2006.01311.x
Subject(s) - medicine , optometry , blindness , ophthalmology
A bstract After a comprehensive review of available texts and literature covering five millennia, the authors present a collection of ophthalmic proverbs and aphorisms with an examination of their applicability within current medical knowledge. A total of 74 ophthalmic proverbs and aphorisms were retrieved from 130 texts and divided into seven categories: (i) importance of vision (‘The eyes, like sentinels, hold the highest place in the body’); (ii) definition of blindness and anatomical observations (‘The eye is protected by the lashes, eyebrows, and orbit’); (iii) diseases of the eye such as presbyopia, sensitivity to light and dry eye (‘Tear in the eye is jewel’); (iv) the eye as a window of the body; (v) vulnerability of the eye (‘The eye cannot oppose an awl’); (vi) health behaviours and protection of sight (‘Be gentle with two: women and eyes’), and finally; and (vii) nutrition and vision (‘Carrots improve vision’). The majority of these proverbs and aphorisms can be used as a guide, not for prognosis, diagnosis or cure, but rather for ocular health promotion.