It can not be said that consideration of the subject of choked disk is a new thing, but, as long as the correct explanation of the origin of choked disk alone can give a satisfactory conception of its clinical significance, any additional data based on experimental observations may help to decide a question which already has called forth numerous discussions and an abundance of conflicting theories.
These discussions began with von Graefe, and since the appearance of his original article on this subject two principal theories have claimed most attention. According to one, choked disk finds its origin in local inflammatory reactions, while the other explains its occurrence on the basis of purely mechanical factors.
Historically, the mechanical theory is the oldest and was first advanced by von Graefe.1 He believed that the increased intracranial pressure, acting by compression on the cavernous sinus, caused a stasis in the ophthalmic the