Emily Dickinson's Ophthalmic Consultation With Henry Willard Williams, MD

Abstract

Emily Dickinson is one of America's premier poets of the 19th century. Henry Willard Williams, MD, was one of the very first physicians to limit his practice to ophthalmology and was the established leader in his field in Boston, Massachusetts. They met during the time of the Civil War, when Emily consulted him about her ophthalmic disorder. No records of the diagnosis survive. Photophobia, aching eyes, and a restriction in her ability to work up close were her main symptoms. Iritis, exotropia, or psychiatric problems are the most frequent diagnoses offered to explain her difficulties. Rather than attempt a definitive conclusion, this article will offer an additional possibility that Dr Williams likely considered (ie, hysterical hyperaesthesia of the retina). This was a common diagnosis at that time, although it has currently faded from use.

Was It Epilepsy?: Misdiagnosing Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)

“…Dickinson described a treatment as "painful" (Dickinson 1958, L302). An ophthalmologist has recently accepted the diagnosis (Blanchard 2012). Assessing this episode, Gordon implies that Dickinson suffered photic epilepsy: "For a person who was predisposed, repeated flashes of light would set off convulsions," and that Williams's treatment was meant to stop the attacks by curing the photosensitivity (Gordon 2010, p. 127).…”