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Auge, Part 3, Vol. xi of Handbuch Der Speziellen Pathologischen Anatomie Und Histologie
BOOK NOTICES
BOOK NOTICES AUGE, part 3, vol. XI of HANDBUCH DER SPEZIELLEN PATHOLOGISCHEN AN ATOMIE UND HISTOLOGIE. Edited by O. Lubarsch and F. Henke, 653 pages. Berlin, Julius Springer, 1937. Price $48.00. This concluding work on the pathology of the eye, as a part of the most important encyclopedic work on the pathology of the entire body, includes the lens, the sclera, injuries of the visual organ, and the eyeball as a whole. Division 12, on the lens, by A. v. Szily of Munster, occupies 282 pages and includes 213 illustrations. Very few of the latter are in color, in striking contrast to the first part of the pathology of the eye, published in 1928, and to the division on the lens by Adolph Jess in the Kurzes Handbuch der Ophthalmologie, volume 5, published in 1930. Twenty pages are used in describing the detailed changes in senile cataract-a valuable addition to our knowledge of lens changes. The pathology of over-ripening, morgagnian cataract, and black cataract is carefully reviewed. Under punctate cataract are included with reason coronary, cerulean, and green cataract. The nuclear or central and the lamellar cataracts are very capably considered from a broad standpoint. Results in the adult lens of the absence of an embryonic (Mann) nucleus is clearly described and illustrated for the first time. The capsular cataract derived from the anterior epithelium is treated at some length but is judged, as previously, to be a pseudometaplasia and not true connective tissue. An important contribution is a description of the effects on the lens of contusion. Dislocation of the lens, congenital, spontaneous, and traumatic, is fully reviewed over some 20 pages. Aseptic and septic wounds of the lens
1263
both in man and experimental animals afford a valuable comparison. Clinical and experimental findings in siderosis and chalcosis of the lens are described with care. Under the cataract due to endocrine disorders are included the diabetic, that of tetany, both clinical and experimental, and that of myotonic dystrophy. Lastly the glass-blowers' cataract, the action of ultraviolet and infrared rays on animal lenses, the action of Rontgen and radium rays on the lens of man and animals are discussed in valuable detail. Very timely also is the review on cataract due to electricity, both clinical and experimental in scope. References to the literature fill 40 pages. The assembly of the latter would alone make the work noteworthy and of great value for reference. The author is too prone, however, to let the quotations from the literature speak for themselves. More of the distinguished essayist's own opinions would have made the work more valuable. Nevertheless it is by far the most complete work on the lens in existence. Division 13, on the sclera, by K. Oberhoff of Munich, occupies 40 pages and includes 19 illustrations and 30 pages of references. This is also much the most extensive compendium on disorders of the sclera in the literature. There are described congenital melanosis of the sclera, congenital and traumatic cysts, scleral rupture, and staphyloma. Under scleritis, the progressive scleroperikeratitis is thoroughly reviewed over 10 pages, and tuberculosis of the sclera in four pages. Numerous other conditions are briefly mentioned. Division 14, on injuries of the visual organ, by Erich Lobeck of J ena, occupies 170 pages and includes 78 illustrations, many in colors. In this work, the author states in the preface that he purposes to review the pathologic anatomy of
1264
BOOK NOTICES
those injuries that directly or indirectly affect the eyeball as a whole. He divides the entire work into four subdivisions: I. Injuries from blunt blows. II. Injuries through sharp objects (including puncture, incised and shot wounds). III. Injuries through physical energy or rays. IV. Injuries through chemicals. Many excellent illustrations, including numerous photomicrographs, distinguish this work. The subject matter is systematically arranged for ready reference. Descriptions are brief and to the point. Facts regarding injuries of the eye are always valuable although necessarily many are repetitions of previous works on the subject. Division 15, the eyeball as a whole, by K. Wessely of Munich, includes 80 pages and 69 illustrations, 15 in color. Here are depicted those changes of the entire eyeball which arise during life as the result of peculiarities of its structure. "In no other branch of ocular pathology does the transition from physiology to pathology proceed so smoothly as here." Accordingly, there is first discussed the architecture of the eyeball as a whole in the adult and the newborn, then the physiologic growth of the eye, the growthcorrelation, and the pathologic growth. The myopic changes in the eye are thoroughly reviewed through some 60 pages. Lastly changes in the eye from hyperopia and age are described. Harvey D. Lamb. THE SCIENCE OF SEEING. By Matthew Luckiesh and Frank K. Moss. Clothbound, 558 pages, 143 illustrations. New York. D . Van Nostrand Company, 1937. Price $6.00. This book announces the fact, "Seeing is more than a visual function." To vision it would add other "visual sensory processes": Neural pathways and activities; pupillary phenomena; the eyelids;
orientation and convergence; binocular vision; accommodation; sensation; perception; color vision. These are the subheadings of chapter 3. Chapter 1 is headed "Seeing," and takes up the evolution of vision, learning to see, light and brightness out of doors, seeing in modern civilization, and argues that seeing is more than vision. Chapter 2, "The human seeing-machine," considers visibility and human beings, various thresholds of seeing, optimum conditions for seeing, correlations and controllable factors in seeing. Chapter 4 is headed "visual thresholds" and occupies 42 pages. Then the following chapters: 5, Visibility of objects; 6, Physiological effects of seeing; 7, Conservation and achievement; 8, Light and lighting; 9, Prescribing light; 10, quality of lighting; 11, Spectral quality of light; 12, Reading as task; 13, Eyesight and seeing. These headings indicate only in outline the contents of the book. The authorsdirector and physicist at the Research Laboratory of the General Electric Company at Nela Park, Cleveland-stand high in the engineering profession. They have considered their subject from a standpoint quite different from that of the practicing ophthalmologist. But it is worth a great deal for those who can, to see their daily routine of work from a new standpoint. To read this book and think about it, will be helpful to all real teachers of ophthalmology; and we must all be teachers of the art of seeing, to our patients. To read these chapters should be suggestive to every advanced studentpractitioner of ophthalmology. It is surprising to learn how much there is of ophthalmology, beside minute anatomy, nerve physiology, surgical detail, medical diagnosis, prescribing glasses, and modern therapeutics. Preventive medicine will need all the help that science can give. Edward Jackson.
BOOK NOTICES AUGE, part 3, vol. XI of HANDBUCH DER SPEZIELLEN PATHOLOGISCHEN AN ATOMIE UND HISTOLOGIE. Edited by O. Lubarsch and F. Henke, 653 pages. Berlin, Julius Springer, 1937. Price $48.00. This concluding work on the pathology of the eye, as a part of the most important encyclopedic work on the pathology of the entire body, includes the lens, the sclera, injuries of the visual organ, and the eyeball as a whole. Division 12, on the lens, by A. v. Szily of Munster, occupies 282 pages and includes 213 illustrations. Very few of the latter are in color, in striking contrast to the first part of the pathology of the eye, published in 1928, and to the division on the lens by Adolph Jess in the Kurzes Handbuch der Ophthalmologie, volume 5, published in 1930. Twenty pages are used in describing the detailed changes in senile cataract-a valuable addition to our knowledge of lens changes. The pathology of over-ripening, morgagnian cataract, and black cataract is carefully reviewed. Under punctate cataract are included with reason coronary, cerulean, and green cataract. The nuclear or central and the lamellar cataracts are very capably considered from a broad standpoint. Results in the adult lens of the absence of an embryonic (Mann) nucleus is clearly described and illustrated for the first time. The capsular cataract derived from the anterior epithelium is treated at some length but is judged, as previously, to be a pseudometaplasia and not true connective tissue. An important contribution is a description of the effects on the lens of contusion. Dislocation of the lens, congenital, spontaneous, and traumatic, is fully reviewed over some 20 pages. Aseptic and septic wounds of the lens
1263
both in man and experimental animals afford a valuable comparison. Clinical and experimental findings in siderosis and chalcosis of the lens are described with care. Under the cataract due to endocrine disorders are included the diabetic, that of tetany, both clinical and experimental, and that of myotonic dystrophy. Lastly the glass-blowers' cataract, the action of ultraviolet and infrared rays on animal lenses, the action of Rontgen and radium rays on the lens of man and animals are discussed in valuable detail. Very timely also is the review on cataract due to electricity, both clinical and experimental in scope. References to the literature fill 40 pages. The assembly of the latter would alone make the work noteworthy and of great value for reference. The author is too prone, however, to let the quotations from the literature speak for themselves. More of the distinguished essayist's own opinions would have made the work more valuable. Nevertheless it is by far the most complete work on the lens in existence. Division 13, on the sclera, by K. Oberhoff of Munich, occupies 40 pages and includes 19 illustrations and 30 pages of references. This is also much the most extensive compendium on disorders of the sclera in the literature. There are described congenital melanosis of the sclera, congenital and traumatic cysts, scleral rupture, and staphyloma. Under scleritis, the progressive scleroperikeratitis is thoroughly reviewed over 10 pages, and tuberculosis of the sclera in four pages. Numerous other conditions are briefly mentioned. Division 14, on injuries of the visual organ, by Erich Lobeck of J ena, occupies 170 pages and includes 78 illustrations, many in colors. In this work, the author states in the preface that he purposes to review the pathologic anatomy of
1264
BOOK NOTICES
those injuries that directly or indirectly affect the eyeball as a whole. He divides the entire work into four subdivisions: I. Injuries from blunt blows. II. Injuries through sharp objects (including puncture, incised and shot wounds). III. Injuries through physical energy or rays. IV. Injuries through chemicals. Many excellent illustrations, including numerous photomicrographs, distinguish this work. The subject matter is systematically arranged for ready reference. Descriptions are brief and to the point. Facts regarding injuries of the eye are always valuable although necessarily many are repetitions of previous works on the subject. Division 15, the eyeball as a whole, by K. Wessely of Munich, includes 80 pages and 69 illustrations, 15 in color. Here are depicted those changes of the entire eyeball which arise during life as the result of peculiarities of its structure. "In no other branch of ocular pathology does the transition from physiology to pathology proceed so smoothly as here." Accordingly, there is first discussed the architecture of the eyeball as a whole in the adult and the newborn, then the physiologic growth of the eye, the growthcorrelation, and the pathologic growth. The myopic changes in the eye are thoroughly reviewed through some 60 pages. Lastly changes in the eye from hyperopia and age are described. Harvey D. Lamb. THE SCIENCE OF SEEING. By Matthew Luckiesh and Frank K. Moss. Clothbound, 558 pages, 143 illustrations. New York. D . Van Nostrand Company, 1937. Price $6.00. This book announces the fact, "Seeing is more than a visual function." To vision it would add other "visual sensory processes": Neural pathways and activities; pupillary phenomena; the eyelids;
orientation and convergence; binocular vision; accommodation; sensation; perception; color vision. These are the subheadings of chapter 3. Chapter 1 is headed "Seeing," and takes up the evolution of vision, learning to see, light and brightness out of doors, seeing in modern civilization, and argues that seeing is more than vision. Chapter 2, "The human seeing-machine," considers visibility and human beings, various thresholds of seeing, optimum conditions for seeing, correlations and controllable factors in seeing. Chapter 4 is headed "visual thresholds" and occupies 42 pages. Then the following chapters: 5, Visibility of objects; 6, Physiological effects of seeing; 7, Conservation and achievement; 8, Light and lighting; 9, Prescribing light; 10, quality of lighting; 11, Spectral quality of light; 12, Reading as task; 13, Eyesight and seeing. These headings indicate only in outline the contents of the book. The authorsdirector and physicist at the Research Laboratory of the General Electric Company at Nela Park, Cleveland-stand high in the engineering profession. They have considered their subject from a standpoint quite different from that of the practicing ophthalmologist. But it is worth a great deal for those who can, to see their daily routine of work from a new standpoint. To read this book and think about it, will be helpful to all real teachers of ophthalmology; and we must all be teachers of the art of seeing, to our patients. To read these chapters should be suggestive to every advanced studentpractitioner of ophthalmology. It is surprising to learn how much there is of ophthalmology, beside minute anatomy, nerve physiology, surgical detail, medical diagnosis, prescribing glasses, and modern therapeutics. Preventive medicine will need all the help that science can give. Edward Jackson.