Experimental Studies of the Choroidal Vessels

Abstract

The exuberant vascularity of the choroid and its functional significance have been the object of numerous investigations throughout the years. It is certainly remarkable (particularly if it is remembered that the discovery of the circulation by Harvey^1,2 took place in 1628) to find established in the nineteenth century that the function of the choroid "is to nourish the retina through its arteries and veins....''³—old indeed are the roots of some of our knowledge. With relatively few exceptions, most of the further progress of our knowledge of the middle ocular coat has been made through studies of enucleated eyes or by indirect observations in vivo. The aim of the present investigation was to obtain further evidence which might assist in the understanding of the circulation in the choroid through direct observations of its vessels in living animals. General Methods of Investigation The techniques used in the study of