- Email: [email protected]
A. Stanford Morton at Moorfields
BIOGRAPHIC NOTICE
latter institution until his death, April 11, 1927. He retired from practice in 1920.
He contributed numerous clinical papers to the Proceedings of the Oph thalmological Society of the United Kingdom, in the ten years following 1900, and in 1903, at the British Medi cal Association, read a memorable paper on the "Operative Treatment of Conical Cornea." The picture of him here reproduced, and the account of his work at Moorfields is written by a former student. He was a member of the Council of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, 188689
and
Vice-President
1902-5.
The
order of the Chevalier of the Crown of Italy was given him in recognition of his professional services. E. J. CORRESPONDENCE. A. Stanford Morton at Moorfields. To the Editor: For many years the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital (Moorfields), has been one of the leading training schools for those who desired to study diseases of the eye. In the early nine ties the Stafif consisted of Tweedy, Nettleship, Couper, Gunn, Lang, Mor ton, Lawford, Collins and Spicer. Each man served two days a week thruout the year, and at the age of sixty he re tired to make room for a younger man. A. Stanford Morton was on the Staff of Moorfields from 1875 to 1909 and was one of the most skillful operators of his day. He was a modest, kindly man and deeply interested in the prog ress of his assistants. At his office in Harley Street he had them do iridec tomies and cataract extractions on pigs' eyes. When they became profi cient, he allowed them to do enuclea tions and minor operations in the Amphitheatre at Moorfields. I do not recall any other Chief who thus fav ored his assistants. The well known "Morton Ophthalmoscope" was in vented by him. Dr. Morton lived in retirement at Bristol, England. St.
Louis.
J. ELLIS JENNINGS,
M.D.
465
Physical Therapy in Ophthalmology and Oto-Laryngology. To the Editor: Physical therapy in diseases of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat is not new. The application of heat for acute in flammations, especially when there is much pain, irrigation for the removal of pus or other abnormal secretions, dilatation of stenosed natural passages, are applications of physical therapy long used and universally accepted. There has grown up with some of the cults a very extensive physical therapy. Many of their treatments, viewed from a scientific standpoint, seem to have no anatomic or physio logic rationale. Some are undoubt edly harmful. Example, the digital treatment of posterior nares and ori fices of eustachian tubes for deafness. This abuse of physical therapy has, I believe, prejudiced the regular medi cal profession against its adoption; and has been productive of the belief by many physicians that surgery and drugs are the great annihilators of disease. Within recent years the armamen tarium for rational physical therapy has been increasing enormously. Much of this is electrical, and some of the apparatus and methods quite compli cated. A book of 3 0 7 pages has ap peared on "Physical Therapy in Dis eases of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat," by A. R. Hollender and M. H. Cottle, both otolarvngologists. (See v. 9, p. 8 5 2 . ) What are we, the rank and file of oculists and otolaryngologists, going to do about these newer forms of treatment? W e cannot afford to neg lect methods of superior merit, even tho these methods are relatively new. A case came to my notice where treatment of chronic otitis media bv several otologists was without relief and the patient finally cured by zinc ionizations, given by technicians in an institution of physical therapy. Some very encouraging reports are appear ing in the literature of improved hear ing following diathermy treatments for chronic catarrhal deafness, a con-
latter institution until his death, April 11, 1927. He retired from practice in 1920.
He contributed numerous clinical papers to the Proceedings of the Oph thalmological Society of the United Kingdom, in the ten years following 1900, and in 1903, at the British Medi cal Association, read a memorable paper on the "Operative Treatment of Conical Cornea." The picture of him here reproduced, and the account of his work at Moorfields is written by a former student. He was a member of the Council of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, 188689
and
Vice-President
1902-5.
The
order of the Chevalier of the Crown of Italy was given him in recognition of his professional services. E. J. CORRESPONDENCE. A. Stanford Morton at Moorfields. To the Editor: For many years the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital (Moorfields), has been one of the leading training schools for those who desired to study diseases of the eye. In the early nine ties the Stafif consisted of Tweedy, Nettleship, Couper, Gunn, Lang, Mor ton, Lawford, Collins and Spicer. Each man served two days a week thruout the year, and at the age of sixty he re tired to make room for a younger man. A. Stanford Morton was on the Staff of Moorfields from 1875 to 1909 and was one of the most skillful operators of his day. He was a modest, kindly man and deeply interested in the prog ress of his assistants. At his office in Harley Street he had them do iridec tomies and cataract extractions on pigs' eyes. When they became profi cient, he allowed them to do enuclea tions and minor operations in the Amphitheatre at Moorfields. I do not recall any other Chief who thus fav ored his assistants. The well known "Morton Ophthalmoscope" was in vented by him. Dr. Morton lived in retirement at Bristol, England. St.
Louis.
J. ELLIS JENNINGS,
M.D.
465
Physical Therapy in Ophthalmology and Oto-Laryngology. To the Editor: Physical therapy in diseases of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat is not new. The application of heat for acute in flammations, especially when there is much pain, irrigation for the removal of pus or other abnormal secretions, dilatation of stenosed natural passages, are applications of physical therapy long used and universally accepted. There has grown up with some of the cults a very extensive physical therapy. Many of their treatments, viewed from a scientific standpoint, seem to have no anatomic or physio logic rationale. Some are undoubt edly harmful. Example, the digital treatment of posterior nares and ori fices of eustachian tubes for deafness. This abuse of physical therapy has, I believe, prejudiced the regular medi cal profession against its adoption; and has been productive of the belief by many physicians that surgery and drugs are the great annihilators of disease. Within recent years the armamen tarium for rational physical therapy has been increasing enormously. Much of this is electrical, and some of the apparatus and methods quite compli cated. A book of 3 0 7 pages has ap peared on "Physical Therapy in Dis eases of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat," by A. R. Hollender and M. H. Cottle, both otolarvngologists. (See v. 9, p. 8 5 2 . ) What are we, the rank and file of oculists and otolaryngologists, going to do about these newer forms of treatment? W e cannot afford to neg lect methods of superior merit, even tho these methods are relatively new. A case came to my notice where treatment of chronic otitis media bv several otologists was without relief and the patient finally cured by zinc ionizations, given by technicians in an institution of physical therapy. Some very encouraging reports are appear ing in the literature of improved hear ing following diathermy treatments for chronic catarrhal deafness, a con-