Chicago Ophthalmological Society

SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS Edited by DR. H. ROMMEL HILDRETH CHICAGO OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETY February 15, 1937 DR. G. HENRY MUNDT, president OBSTETRICAL OPHTHALMOLOGY DR. DEWEY KATZ read a paper on this subject. KODACHROME CLINIC DR. ROBERT VON DER HEYDT demonstrated clinical cases of anterior-eye and fundus pathology with lantern slides of Kodachrome photographs. VISUAL ACUITY SURVEY DR.CLARENCE W. RAINEY read a paper on this subject which was published in this Journal (August, 1937). Discussion. Dr. Leo L. Mayer said that Dr. Rainey has made a really valuable contribution by showing what can be done by a visual survey in industry. The literature does not contain many such surveys. Dr. Rainey spoke of taking color vision in each eye separately, and it would be interesting to know if he found any difference in the two eyes. Also, did he find any difference in atropine and homatropine refractions? Dr. Thomas D. AIlen said that by reason of the Social Security Act, unquestionably the ophthalmologist wiIl be caIled upon more and more to make visual surveys. The employer will need to know how many of his employees have reduced vision, so that he wiIl not be held responsible for reduced vision if present before they are employed. Dr. Rainey has made a good start in this direction. If more of the members have such opportunities, it is hoped that they will handle it in as thorough a manner, and report it to the Society so that we may be helped in our general

attitude toward employers and employees. Dr. Louis Bothman spoke of Dr. Rainey's remark that he had not seen any glaucoma develop foIlowing the use of homatropine. He himself had used homatropine, scopolamine, and atropine in the clinic and in his office for years, and had yet to see a single case in which the tension, normal before the use of a cycloplegic, could not be brought back to normal with miotics dropped upon the conjunctiva or by baths with an eye cup. A patient who has glaucoma, of course, should never have a cycloplegic. Dr. Clarence W. Rainey (closing) in reply to Dr. Mayer's question said that according to Fuchs, congenital color blindness is occasionaIly unilateral. A few such cases were found in this survey, but oftener the difference in the color vision of the two eyes was due to some pathological condition. Robert von der Heydt. COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF PHILADELPHIA SECTION ON OPHTHALMOLOGY February 18, 1937 DR. CHARLES R. HEED, chairman DEVELOPMENTAL AND ANATOMICAL FACTORS IN DACRYOCYSTITIS DR. J. PARSONS SCHAEFFER said that the origin and development of the efferent lacrimal passageways not only clarify the general plan of the anatomy but the anatomic types and anomalies as weIl. From the deep layer of the ectoderm along the line of the obliterated naso-optic groove grows a solid strand or cord of epithelial cells, the rudiment or anlage of the nasolacrimal passageways. This cord of epi-

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