MovieChat Forums > Longstreet (1971) Discussion > How did the bomb cause Mike's blindness?

How did the bomb cause Mike's blindness?

posted 3 years ago by CarolTheDabbler (575)
3 replies | jump to latest

From my first post in the "Episode Tidbits" thread:

The bomb had contained parts of a Russian land mine, which the police later find in the debris. Land mines can indeed cause blindness, usually by "peppering the cornea with multiple small foreign bodies."

But it just occurred to me that if Mike's blindness had been caused in that way, then:

A) He would presumably still be able to at least distinguish between light and dark, but it has been established in at least two episodes that he cannot.

B) His doctors would presumably have recommended a corneal transplant, rather than saying his case was irreversible. Such surgery was already fairly common and generally successful by that time.

So -- just how DID the bomb cause Mike's blindness? Ideas, anyone?

[–] thingmakersback (1382) 3 years ago

I bet they either never consulted a medical specialist or, if they did, the information was not considered important enough to matter to the writers. Were they consistent in his inability to perceive light?

In any event, I think the answer might be damage to the occipital lobe of the brain. Simply damaging the optic nerve doesn't sound likely because that would have to either disrupt left and right or happen where they intersect. The back of the head could either have been struck or the effect of the brain being violently bounced about in the skull might work...

[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

I don't recall any times when Mike can detect anything at all with his eyes (though he can feel strong sunlight on his skin), and his total blindness is mentioned at least twice: 1) He says he sometimes wakes up at night and sleepily turns on the bedside lamp, only to have it make no difference. 2) In the episode where Pax is stabbed, Mike interviews a little boy who may have seen it happen. The boy shines a powerful flashlight into Mike's eyes, but Mike can't see it.

With most shows, I'd agree they probably just didn't think it through. In general, though, Longstreet seems quite consistent with everything I know about blindness (having known a few blind people), and quite consistent with itself as well. I don't recall them giving any explanation more specific than it was caused by the bomb. The pilot shows him being roughly ten feet away, which rules out some possibilities. It's unclear whether he was facing the blast.

Hadn't thought of brain trauma, but you're right, if certain parts of the brain are permanently damaged (rather than just bruised), vision becomes impossible, which jibes with what the doctors said about Mike's situation being irreversible, and also explains his total lack of vision. He could have been hit on the head by some falling debris, and/or he could have fallen and hit his head. This could also help explain his disoriented behavior in the hospital (in addition to suddenly becoming blind and losing his wife).

A nasty bump to the head could also cause retinal detachment. It's rare for both eyes to be affected simultaneously, and detachments don't generally happen that quickly, but I suppose it's at least theoretically possible (especially if there are multiple blows) -- albeit less likely than brain trauma. This could also explain why Mike was being kept in bed, lying on his back (the safest position for someone with a detachment in progress), despite apparently having no other injuries.

Thanks for your ideas and your questions, thingmakersback, you've raised some interesting points. More ideas, anybody? Or comments on the ideas already presented?

[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Hello again, thingmaker et al. I've been doing a little more reading, and have found another bump-on-the-head possibility: bilateral blindness (sometimes complete and permanent) can be caused if head trauma raises pressure inside the skull, squeezing the optic nerves:

Head injuries also have the potential to cause increased pressure within the skull. [....] This pressure can "choke" the optic nerves, cutting off blood circulation. [....] The resulting problems can cause vision loss severe enough to lead to complete blindness.

This link no longer works for me (if it does for you, please tell us):
https://www.everydayhealth.com/vision-center/head-injuries.aspx

Thus the damage would not be done directly to one or both optic nerves, but indirectly to both, due to overall increased pressure within the skull.

This could presumably happen without any obvious external injuries. I'm a bit dubious about doctors being able to say within just a few days whether this sort of damage was permanent, but we do need to allow for a bit of dramatic license.