The cornea receives a slight amount of trauma from tonometry. This is more readily observed when fluorescein is used in the eye and examination is made with the aid of a slit lamp. At first, the subject appears to be one of rather academic interest, as there seems to be no excuse for inflicting injury on the cornea with the tonometer. However, in recent years, with the increasing use of tonometry, the advent of tonography, and now phasic tonography,64 there is a more serious threat to the corneal epithelium.
Though some authors * have mentioned the possible danger of tonometry, there is apparently no existing description or illustration of what happens to the cornea during this procedure.
An attempt has been made in this study to find ways and means of lessening the dangers inherent in tonometry as popularly practiced. Factors such as the following have been considered: local anesthesia;