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Journal Changes
56
EDITORIALS
would like to see everybody pleased, is liable to grant the certificate where there is great doubt of its being de served. The man with a strong con fidence in his own uprightness, and lacking sympathy for others is likely to do injustice in the opposite direc tion. Both are in danger of being swayed by prejudice, prejudgment; impressions already fixed with regard to colleagues or rivals in practice, be fore the task of deciding on profes sional fitness was undertaken, or the facts on which such decision should be based were fairly and fully placed be fore them. It is not likely that the men chosen by the profession for examiners will be consciously influenced by personal feeling. But it is very difficult for most minds to place themselves in the completely judicial attitude, by chang ing the usual currents of their thought of persons and actions; about which they have already taken a certain atti tude, on evidence not so complete or so carefully sifted as it should be for the basis of a judicial decision. There is reason to fear that prejudgment may be the controlling factor in decisions regarding men whose imperfections and mistakes have long been known. Then there is danger that the grant ing of a certificate may be due to con siderations other than those the ex aminers were chosen to pass upon. The Board for Ophthalmic Examina tions is created to pass on knowledge and skill for ophthalmic practice, and ethical fitness for the office of profes sional adviser. Narrowness or breadth of education outside of this, a quarrel some disposition, or an agreeable plausible manner, some public service, or an exhibition of meanness not con nected with the professional relation, should not determine the granting or withholding of a certificate; or the cer tificate will lose its special significance. Fear of giving offense, and a desire to mete out punishment, must be equally excluded from any influence in reach ing a decision. The Board for Ophthalmic Exam inations, or the Examiners of the American College of Surgeons, or the
newly appointed Examiners in OtoLaryngology, or other boards that will be appointed to examine into fitness for special practice, have a difficult sit uation to meet. They need and should have the assistance of the profession they serve. Accurate information re garding candidates; unmixed with per sonal prejudice, and unobscured or magnified by inuendoes and general impressions, should be at their com mand, even regarding those candidates of whom they have no personal knowl edge. Patience must be exercised in regard to the long time sometimes re quired to get at the significant facts. and reach a just estimate of their ac curacy and importance. Most of all, they should have charitable considera tion of their mistakes or prejudices, for they will make mistakes, and be swayed by prejudices; as are all other human beings. In turn it will be the duty of these examiners to help elevate the standard of the profession, by making individ ual members of it better. By recogniz ing defects in education among the older men who grew up under a most defective educational system, or ab sence of system; encouraging them to get added training they need, and promptly recognizing the newly ac quired fitness. By recognizing that old mistakes are honestly regretted and re pented of; and by reducing to a min imum the effect of their personal preju dices and tastes; and exercising that charity for earlier errors of those who promise better things, that their own defects of judgment must ask of the profession they serve. E. J. JOURNAL CHANGES. With the beginning of our fourth volume the list of recently published articles, heretofore printed under the heading "Ophthalmic Literature" is transferred to the journal of that name. This will leave more space each month, which we hope to occupy with a larger number of abstracts, than it has been possible to find room for in the last year or two. The abstract department, it will be noticed, is transferred to near the end of each number.
EDITORIALS
The Ophthalmic Literature lists will now be published quarterly. This has the advantage of having all the articles on a single topic, that appear during the year, grouped in four lists, instead of in twelve, which must all be searched to find the year's literature of the subject, when a part of the list was published every month. Any possible disadvantage in this ar rangement is met by the offer that any subscriber, who desires to bring his bibliography up to date on any subject he is studying or preparing to write upon, can get the desired references up to the last paper published, by writing for them to the Editorial Office of this JOURNAL. The two publications are still offered for the old price, and it is hoped that the efforts of our old subscribers will add enough new ones to our lists this year to make any increase of price un necessary. With the day of issue brought to the beginning of the month, it is seasonable to wish all our readers a prosperous, progressive, Happy New Year. MISSING NUMBERS. Subscribers, who on examination of their files find some number of volume 3 missing, are requested to apply for duplicates at once. These can be sup plied without charge for most of the issues; altho, we regret to say, that for two of the numbers the supply is already exhausted. BOOK NOTICES. Manual of Ophthalmic Practice. F. P. Maynard, M.B., D.P.H., F.R.C.S., I.M.S., (Retired), 338 pages, 12 col ored plates and 133 illustrations. Calcutta and Simla, Thacker Spink and Co., Edinburgh, E. and S. Liv ingstone. It is somewhat startling to western ophthalmologists to have the latest textbook on ophthalmology, and one of the best printed and best illustrated, come to us from India. But when we think of trephining for glaucoma, the Smith-Indian operation for cataract, the excellent reports that have come
57
from Madras and Calcutta, and the un bounded opportunities for clinical ob servation there; we begin to realize that out of the Far East,we may well expect much of importance in oph thalmology. This book is based on lectures deliv ered by Col. Maynard at the Medical College of Calcutta, and is intended for senior students and junior practition ers. We know of none better suited to the needs of such readers. In the crowded curriculum of the undergrad uate medical school, the insufficient time given to ophthalmology makes it impossible to read carefully any of our larger text books on the subject. All that it is possible to do for the student is to make a wise selection of a com paratively few things that he can be effectively taught. These seem to be all included within this book, which contains about as much matter as two numbers of this journal. With the essentials for the student are included some things which will be of interest to readers who are engaged in special ophthalmic practice. The chapter on "The Lens and Its Dis eases" reveals the results of an ex perience with cataract, that could only be obtained in India. There are ob servations on its etiology and its clinical forms. There is also a good account of extraction in the capsule— "expression"—the author calls it; which notices the American work done upon the operation, from its introduc tion by Wright to the late improve ments by Fisher. Similarly the chapter on glaucoma gives the results of large surgical experience and a good account of trephining. It must be noted that this work gives nothing about the technic of major operations on the eye. This has been previously described in Col. Maynard's "Manual of Ophthalmic Opera tions." The omission of such matter from the present work makes it dis tinctly better for the medical student and general physician. Each chapter opens with an account of the anatomy of the parts, to the diseases of which it is devoted. This account is not of course a full treatise on the anatomy,
EDITORIALS
would like to see everybody pleased, is liable to grant the certificate where there is great doubt of its being de served. The man with a strong con fidence in his own uprightness, and lacking sympathy for others is likely to do injustice in the opposite direc tion. Both are in danger of being swayed by prejudice, prejudgment; impressions already fixed with regard to colleagues or rivals in practice, be fore the task of deciding on profes sional fitness was undertaken, or the facts on which such decision should be based were fairly and fully placed be fore them. It is not likely that the men chosen by the profession for examiners will be consciously influenced by personal feeling. But it is very difficult for most minds to place themselves in the completely judicial attitude, by chang ing the usual currents of their thought of persons and actions; about which they have already taken a certain atti tude, on evidence not so complete or so carefully sifted as it should be for the basis of a judicial decision. There is reason to fear that prejudgment may be the controlling factor in decisions regarding men whose imperfections and mistakes have long been known. Then there is danger that the grant ing of a certificate may be due to con siderations other than those the ex aminers were chosen to pass upon. The Board for Ophthalmic Examina tions is created to pass on knowledge and skill for ophthalmic practice, and ethical fitness for the office of profes sional adviser. Narrowness or breadth of education outside of this, a quarrel some disposition, or an agreeable plausible manner, some public service, or an exhibition of meanness not con nected with the professional relation, should not determine the granting or withholding of a certificate; or the cer tificate will lose its special significance. Fear of giving offense, and a desire to mete out punishment, must be equally excluded from any influence in reach ing a decision. The Board for Ophthalmic Exam inations, or the Examiners of the American College of Surgeons, or the
newly appointed Examiners in OtoLaryngology, or other boards that will be appointed to examine into fitness for special practice, have a difficult sit uation to meet. They need and should have the assistance of the profession they serve. Accurate information re garding candidates; unmixed with per sonal prejudice, and unobscured or magnified by inuendoes and general impressions, should be at their com mand, even regarding those candidates of whom they have no personal knowl edge. Patience must be exercised in regard to the long time sometimes re quired to get at the significant facts. and reach a just estimate of their ac curacy and importance. Most of all, they should have charitable considera tion of their mistakes or prejudices, for they will make mistakes, and be swayed by prejudices; as are all other human beings. In turn it will be the duty of these examiners to help elevate the standard of the profession, by making individ ual members of it better. By recogniz ing defects in education among the older men who grew up under a most defective educational system, or ab sence of system; encouraging them to get added training they need, and promptly recognizing the newly ac quired fitness. By recognizing that old mistakes are honestly regretted and re pented of; and by reducing to a min imum the effect of their personal preju dices and tastes; and exercising that charity for earlier errors of those who promise better things, that their own defects of judgment must ask of the profession they serve. E. J. JOURNAL CHANGES. With the beginning of our fourth volume the list of recently published articles, heretofore printed under the heading "Ophthalmic Literature" is transferred to the journal of that name. This will leave more space each month, which we hope to occupy with a larger number of abstracts, than it has been possible to find room for in the last year or two. The abstract department, it will be noticed, is transferred to near the end of each number.
EDITORIALS
The Ophthalmic Literature lists will now be published quarterly. This has the advantage of having all the articles on a single topic, that appear during the year, grouped in four lists, instead of in twelve, which must all be searched to find the year's literature of the subject, when a part of the list was published every month. Any possible disadvantage in this ar rangement is met by the offer that any subscriber, who desires to bring his bibliography up to date on any subject he is studying or preparing to write upon, can get the desired references up to the last paper published, by writing for them to the Editorial Office of this JOURNAL. The two publications are still offered for the old price, and it is hoped that the efforts of our old subscribers will add enough new ones to our lists this year to make any increase of price un necessary. With the day of issue brought to the beginning of the month, it is seasonable to wish all our readers a prosperous, progressive, Happy New Year. MISSING NUMBERS. Subscribers, who on examination of their files find some number of volume 3 missing, are requested to apply for duplicates at once. These can be sup plied without charge for most of the issues; altho, we regret to say, that for two of the numbers the supply is already exhausted. BOOK NOTICES. Manual of Ophthalmic Practice. F. P. Maynard, M.B., D.P.H., F.R.C.S., I.M.S., (Retired), 338 pages, 12 col ored plates and 133 illustrations. Calcutta and Simla, Thacker Spink and Co., Edinburgh, E. and S. Liv ingstone. It is somewhat startling to western ophthalmologists to have the latest textbook on ophthalmology, and one of the best printed and best illustrated, come to us from India. But when we think of trephining for glaucoma, the Smith-Indian operation for cataract, the excellent reports that have come
57
from Madras and Calcutta, and the un bounded opportunities for clinical ob servation there; we begin to realize that out of the Far East,we may well expect much of importance in oph thalmology. This book is based on lectures deliv ered by Col. Maynard at the Medical College of Calcutta, and is intended for senior students and junior practition ers. We know of none better suited to the needs of such readers. In the crowded curriculum of the undergrad uate medical school, the insufficient time given to ophthalmology makes it impossible to read carefully any of our larger text books on the subject. All that it is possible to do for the student is to make a wise selection of a com paratively few things that he can be effectively taught. These seem to be all included within this book, which contains about as much matter as two numbers of this journal. With the essentials for the student are included some things which will be of interest to readers who are engaged in special ophthalmic practice. The chapter on "The Lens and Its Dis eases" reveals the results of an ex perience with cataract, that could only be obtained in India. There are ob servations on its etiology and its clinical forms. There is also a good account of extraction in the capsule— "expression"—the author calls it; which notices the American work done upon the operation, from its introduc tion by Wright to the late improve ments by Fisher. Similarly the chapter on glaucoma gives the results of large surgical experience and a good account of trephining. It must be noted that this work gives nothing about the technic of major operations on the eye. This has been previously described in Col. Maynard's "Manual of Ophthalmic Opera tions." The omission of such matter from the present work makes it dis tinctly better for the medical student and general physician. Each chapter opens with an account of the anatomy of the parts, to the diseases of which it is devoted. This account is not of course a full treatise on the anatomy,