Historical ophthalmology drugs in jars in a carrying case. Ophthalmology is the study of the eye and its disorders and their treatment. The open jar at lower right contains cocaine discs for anaesthesia, which are inserted into the eye to help numb it during operations. This use of cocaine was discovered in 1884. Other drug discs here include: daturine, ergotine, atropine, duboisine, camphor, morphine, calomel, gelsemine, iodine and silver nitrate. The manufacturer is the US company John Wyeth and Brothers of Philadelphia, known as Wyeth from 1907 onwards and now one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.