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Recently the operation of Guist has come to the attention of ophthalmologists throughout the world as a promising treatment for detachment of the retina. This method consists in the cauterization with a stick of caustic potash of each trephine opening that may be made over an area of detached retina. Neutralization is made according to the method of Guist with acetic acid immediately after the cauterization. Potassium hydroxide dissolves collagenous tissue and brings about a plastic exudate. This latter causes adherence of the detached retina to the choroid.
Guist employs paraffin-covered sticks of caustic potash, which are tapered to a point. The paraffin tip is removed just a moment before the application to the exposed choroid. The sticks he has been using I find unsatisfactory for several reasons: (1) they are unwieldy; (2) they quickly become moist, as potassium hydroxide is hydroscopic; (3) when the stick is applied to