The series of operations reported on here comprises the fifth hundred successive intracapsular extractions of cataract. The report on the fourth hundred operations was published in the Archives1 in July 1933. In presenting the present series, the final results are given, for though the vision at first is good, deterioration sometimes sets in later.
The cataracts were classified as to type as follows: mature, thirtythree; immature, twelve; nuclear, nine; nuclear and posterior cortical, twenty-seven ; hypermature, seventeen, and morgagnian, two.
In thirteen cases preliminary iridectomy was done on account of the presence of a complication or in order to get information on the patient's behavior during operation. Another advantage of preliminary iridectomy is the absence of hemorrhage into the anterior chamber during the operation for cataract, which facilitates the application of the capsule forceps, though the formation of a satisfactory conjunctival flap may suffer and the patient is