- Email: [email protected]
The Cincinnati Meeting
968
EDITORIALS
sented at the Madras Government Oph thalmic Hospital, in one year, 30 chil dren totally blind and 33 others prac tically blind from this condition. Blindness from vitamin-A deficiency is less common in Europe and America; but among the depressed, undernour ished classes it may be more common than we suspect. Blegvad proposes to call the condition a "dystrophy hemeralopia." But he recognized the great im portance of the corneal lesions. The term avitaminosis is appropriate for all the principal changes that are known of the pathology of these cases. But at the-1935 meeting of the Association for Research in Ophthalmology, there was presented a study of congenital anophthalmos in pigs that fully entitles the fat-soluble vitamin A to the name the Ophthalmic Vitamin. This paper will appear in full in a subsequent number of the American Journal of Ophthal mology, but it is such a complete study of its subject that it deserves advance notice as a model for thoroughness in scientific research. At the Texas Agricultural Experi ment Station the experiment was tried of breeding sows that had been kept on diet devoid of vitamin A for 160 days before and 30 days after breeding. Of 35 pigs farrowed in 3 litters, all were blind. In one litter, 14 pigs, some eyes were present, but all were deformed and sightless. This sow became ill, and two weeks before breeding, was given one dose of cod-liver oil. She quickly re covered strength, but her pigs were sightless. Control experiments, with feeding including cod-liver oil, gave normal litters. Some of the eyeless pigs, bred under conditions of normal feed ing, gave litters of pigs with normal eyes. Hereditary tendencies could be excluded from the strains used. No other blind pigs had been farrowed at the Experiment Station in ten years. One of the sires was Duroc and the other Essex, and their pigs by healthy sows all had normal eyes. For new dis coveries in ophthalmology we may well watch other fields of study in science. Edward Jackson.
T H E CINCINNATI MEETING The fortieth annual session of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology became history on September 20th. An excellent meeting was held in a very satisfactory location. Headquarters was in an attractive and adequate hotel. A large part of the reg istrants were able to find accommoda tions there, and those who were unable to do so were housed near by. Cincin nati is advantageously located for Acad emy meetings, being within overnight travel by train from most of the prin cipal Eastern and Midwestern cities. The attendance was not quite up to ex pectations, but by Wednesday after noon almost nine hundred had regis tered. Perhaps the hot weather was one reason why a larger number was not attained. There are few American cities that do not occasionally have very warm spells in September. It is probable that better hotel rates can be obtained dur ing that month because September is somewhat "off season," but October is certainly the pleasanter month. W e can all recall some recent meetings that. have been handicapped severely by heat. Of course there are other argu ments for September; such as the fact that medical schools have not opened then, and a possible conflict with the American College of Surgeons meeting in October. T h e next Academy meeting is to be held in New York in October, 1936, not too early in the month, we hope. This should be a popular location and date —especially for the wives and daugh ters who like an excuse to go to that metropolis. The last meeting in New York was in 1909, hence few of the present membership will recall it. No "extra-curricular" activities need be provided, as the city's attractions will prove difficult competition. Even the banquet will probably suffer from this to a considerable extent. W e hope not too much, because this is an important feature of the program, perhaps chiefly for its unifying effect. It is the out standing formal gathering in which the whole membership joins and at which may be seen the officers and distin-
BOOK NOTICES guished guests. One other word might be added about this banquet. The at tendance is not what it should be, as usually only about half of the regis trants are there, perhaps largely be cause of the expense, five dollars being no inconsiderable sum these days. It might be recalled that Academy dues are low and expenses high and that the banquet charge may be an indirect tax for the benefit of the Academy, so that the purchase of a ticket not only as sures the member a pleasant evening but is a gesture of loyalty. The banquet this year was on Wed nesday evening, as usual. I t was held in "The Hall of Mirrors," which figured at other times as the Convention Hall. Speeches were short and interesting; the music was excellent. A huge birth day cake had been made in honor of the twenty-fifth birthday of the Acad emy, twenty-five years having passed since its organization as a national so ciety in the same city. A tribute was paid to Drs. Christian Holmes and Derrick T. Vail, Sr., hon ored as having been largely instrumen tal in this broadening of the Academy, which had been founded by fifty physi cians as the "Western Ophthalmological, Otological and Laryngological So ciety," in 1896, in Kansas City, Mis souri, with Doctor Adolph Alt of St. Louis, first president and Doctor Hal Foster, Kansas City, secretary. In 1903, the name was changed to that by which it is now known. The member ship then was 185,' while now it is ap proximately 2265. The Official Program appeared in the best form yet presented. Indexed by in dents, the desired page was more readi ly located than heretofore. Much infor mation was contained in the booklet, which was made conveniently of pocket size. As to the program, the editor can speak for only a small portion of it, not at all for the otolaryngological half. The papers that he did hear were unusually good. The courses were carefully cho sen, interesting, and well attended. The best are those which give the experi ence of the lecturer. Reviews of the literature are less interesting. On Tuesday evening there was in
969
formal entertainment. If the lateness of the "break u p " is a true indication of the enjoyment, the occasion was surely a success. The humorous speeches and the solos in the earlier part of the eve ning were unsuccessful because of the noise and confusion in the rear of the room. The guest of honor must have been somewhat embarrassed at the fail ure of the audience to be attentive dur ing his piano solo. There is consider able excuse in that it is rather difficult to be quiet and a good listener after a day of attention and listening. Band music and some entertainment requir ing little or no concentration, especially of the auditory apparatus, would per haps be better suited to this party. For tunately, the evening was soon given over to dancing and conversation, aided by an unlimited supply of Cincinnati's excellent brew, and "a good time was had by all." Dr. Frank Burch was nominated president and Dr. Lee Wallace Dean, president elect. No more capable men could have been chosen for the most im portant office of the Academy and un doubtedly they will "hold high the torch." In passing we cannot fail to comment on the list of those who have served the Academy well but are with us no more. Three seem to deserve special mention: Clarence Loeb, for many years efficient editor of the Transac tions of the Academy and associate editor of this Journal; Bill Mullin, ac tive secretary of the Otolaryngological section, always fun loving and a tonic in himself; and lastly Morie Weymann, third vice president for 1935, an active editor of the Journal, and one of the most promising of the younger ophthal mologists. W e missed them greatly and shall continue to miss them. The Academy goes on. It is con ducted with vision, energy, enthusiasm, and unselfishness. As long as this spirit prevails the organization will flourish. Lawrence T. Post. BOOK NOTICES The doctor's bill. By Hugh Cabot. Cloth covers, 313 pages, Columbia Uni versity Press, New York City, 1935.
EDITORIALS
sented at the Madras Government Oph thalmic Hospital, in one year, 30 chil dren totally blind and 33 others prac tically blind from this condition. Blindness from vitamin-A deficiency is less common in Europe and America; but among the depressed, undernour ished classes it may be more common than we suspect. Blegvad proposes to call the condition a "dystrophy hemeralopia." But he recognized the great im portance of the corneal lesions. The term avitaminosis is appropriate for all the principal changes that are known of the pathology of these cases. But at the-1935 meeting of the Association for Research in Ophthalmology, there was presented a study of congenital anophthalmos in pigs that fully entitles the fat-soluble vitamin A to the name the Ophthalmic Vitamin. This paper will appear in full in a subsequent number of the American Journal of Ophthal mology, but it is such a complete study of its subject that it deserves advance notice as a model for thoroughness in scientific research. At the Texas Agricultural Experi ment Station the experiment was tried of breeding sows that had been kept on diet devoid of vitamin A for 160 days before and 30 days after breeding. Of 35 pigs farrowed in 3 litters, all were blind. In one litter, 14 pigs, some eyes were present, but all were deformed and sightless. This sow became ill, and two weeks before breeding, was given one dose of cod-liver oil. She quickly re covered strength, but her pigs were sightless. Control experiments, with feeding including cod-liver oil, gave normal litters. Some of the eyeless pigs, bred under conditions of normal feed ing, gave litters of pigs with normal eyes. Hereditary tendencies could be excluded from the strains used. No other blind pigs had been farrowed at the Experiment Station in ten years. One of the sires was Duroc and the other Essex, and their pigs by healthy sows all had normal eyes. For new dis coveries in ophthalmology we may well watch other fields of study in science. Edward Jackson.
T H E CINCINNATI MEETING The fortieth annual session of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology became history on September 20th. An excellent meeting was held in a very satisfactory location. Headquarters was in an attractive and adequate hotel. A large part of the reg istrants were able to find accommoda tions there, and those who were unable to do so were housed near by. Cincin nati is advantageously located for Acad emy meetings, being within overnight travel by train from most of the prin cipal Eastern and Midwestern cities. The attendance was not quite up to ex pectations, but by Wednesday after noon almost nine hundred had regis tered. Perhaps the hot weather was one reason why a larger number was not attained. There are few American cities that do not occasionally have very warm spells in September. It is probable that better hotel rates can be obtained dur ing that month because September is somewhat "off season," but October is certainly the pleasanter month. W e can all recall some recent meetings that. have been handicapped severely by heat. Of course there are other argu ments for September; such as the fact that medical schools have not opened then, and a possible conflict with the American College of Surgeons meeting in October. T h e next Academy meeting is to be held in New York in October, 1936, not too early in the month, we hope. This should be a popular location and date —especially for the wives and daugh ters who like an excuse to go to that metropolis. The last meeting in New York was in 1909, hence few of the present membership will recall it. No "extra-curricular" activities need be provided, as the city's attractions will prove difficult competition. Even the banquet will probably suffer from this to a considerable extent. W e hope not too much, because this is an important feature of the program, perhaps chiefly for its unifying effect. It is the out standing formal gathering in which the whole membership joins and at which may be seen the officers and distin-
BOOK NOTICES guished guests. One other word might be added about this banquet. The at tendance is not what it should be, as usually only about half of the regis trants are there, perhaps largely be cause of the expense, five dollars being no inconsiderable sum these days. It might be recalled that Academy dues are low and expenses high and that the banquet charge may be an indirect tax for the benefit of the Academy, so that the purchase of a ticket not only as sures the member a pleasant evening but is a gesture of loyalty. The banquet this year was on Wed nesday evening, as usual. I t was held in "The Hall of Mirrors," which figured at other times as the Convention Hall. Speeches were short and interesting; the music was excellent. A huge birth day cake had been made in honor of the twenty-fifth birthday of the Acad emy, twenty-five years having passed since its organization as a national so ciety in the same city. A tribute was paid to Drs. Christian Holmes and Derrick T. Vail, Sr., hon ored as having been largely instrumen tal in this broadening of the Academy, which had been founded by fifty physi cians as the "Western Ophthalmological, Otological and Laryngological So ciety," in 1896, in Kansas City, Mis souri, with Doctor Adolph Alt of St. Louis, first president and Doctor Hal Foster, Kansas City, secretary. In 1903, the name was changed to that by which it is now known. The member ship then was 185,' while now it is ap proximately 2265. The Official Program appeared in the best form yet presented. Indexed by in dents, the desired page was more readi ly located than heretofore. Much infor mation was contained in the booklet, which was made conveniently of pocket size. As to the program, the editor can speak for only a small portion of it, not at all for the otolaryngological half. The papers that he did hear were unusually good. The courses were carefully cho sen, interesting, and well attended. The best are those which give the experi ence of the lecturer. Reviews of the literature are less interesting. On Tuesday evening there was in
969
formal entertainment. If the lateness of the "break u p " is a true indication of the enjoyment, the occasion was surely a success. The humorous speeches and the solos in the earlier part of the eve ning were unsuccessful because of the noise and confusion in the rear of the room. The guest of honor must have been somewhat embarrassed at the fail ure of the audience to be attentive dur ing his piano solo. There is consider able excuse in that it is rather difficult to be quiet and a good listener after a day of attention and listening. Band music and some entertainment requir ing little or no concentration, especially of the auditory apparatus, would per haps be better suited to this party. For tunately, the evening was soon given over to dancing and conversation, aided by an unlimited supply of Cincinnati's excellent brew, and "a good time was had by all." Dr. Frank Burch was nominated president and Dr. Lee Wallace Dean, president elect. No more capable men could have been chosen for the most im portant office of the Academy and un doubtedly they will "hold high the torch." In passing we cannot fail to comment on the list of those who have served the Academy well but are with us no more. Three seem to deserve special mention: Clarence Loeb, for many years efficient editor of the Transac tions of the Academy and associate editor of this Journal; Bill Mullin, ac tive secretary of the Otolaryngological section, always fun loving and a tonic in himself; and lastly Morie Weymann, third vice president for 1935, an active editor of the Journal, and one of the most promising of the younger ophthal mologists. W e missed them greatly and shall continue to miss them. The Academy goes on. It is con ducted with vision, energy, enthusiasm, and unselfishness. As long as this spirit prevails the organization will flourish. Lawrence T. Post. BOOK NOTICES The doctor's bill. By Hugh Cabot. Cloth covers, 313 pages, Columbia Uni versity Press, New York City, 1935.