It is now being generally accepted that the principal factor in the operations for detachment of the retina is the closure of the hole in the retina which allowed the escape of fluid from the broken-down vitreous into the subretinal space. Thus the contention of de Wecker in 1870, and of Leber in 1882, that the retinal tear was the direct cause of the detachment is now confirmed. According to Vogt,1 Galezowski, in 1903, was the first to treat systematically the retinal tear with ignipuncture, after aspirating the subretinal fluid, but the method did not gain recognition until it was rediscovered and worked out adequately by Gonin in 1923. General trial of the operation of ignipuncture soon led to a recognition of its disadvantages, consisting, in addition to its limited field of application, of loss of vitreous, destruction of retinal tissue and late hemorrhage. In the search for