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Modern Trends in Ophthalmology
BOOK NOTICES
sarium at Carville, Louisiana. Among 350 patients examined, only 33 had nor mal eyes. At Hawaii it is believed that, if the patient lives long enough, the eyes are always involved. The eyes, the lids, and the skin of neighboring parts usually give the first evidence of the disease. Many of the lepers in this country have acquired the disease elsewhere; but it is almost impossible to determine just when or where. It is of especial importance that the ophthalmologist should have in mind the manifestations of leprosy, so well described by Prendergast; and that he should be ready to make a tentative diag nosis, even if only by exclusion of the more common causes of similar symp toms. The book of Barros and the paper of Prendergast are good reminders of the fact that our specialty is still a branch of general medicine. Edward Jackson.
BOOK NOTICES MODERN TRENDS IN O P H T H A L MOLOGY. Edited by Frederick Rid ley and Arnold Sorsby. Clothbound, 699 pages, 271 illustrations and 8 col ored plates. Published in London by Rutterworth & Co., 1940. Price 3 0 / This is a new book designed to indicate emergent tendencies and formative influ ences in ophthalmology. It is not a text book, but rather a series of monographs systematizing the information that is coming from the clinics, laboratories, and periodical literature of the world. The general planning of the book is unusual and the material is of wide scope. Part I—Ophthalmology in relation to general medicine. There are sections on allergy, immunity, tuberculosis, virus dis eases, and ophthalmic conditions in tropi cal and subtropical regions. The relation ship between psychological factors and
1059
eye conditions is written by Millias Culpin, a medical psychologist. The discus sion of squint from the psychological angle and the grouping of squint into "imitative," "jealousy," and "fear or shock" cases with the recommendation of psychological treatment is a little discon certing on comparison with the usual text book presentation of strabismus. The demyelinating diseases of the nervous system are discussed by W. Rus sell Brain, and a useful classification of the encephalomyelitic affections is pre sented. J. S. Friedenwald presents the modern aspects of general vascular disease and the associated retinal' and choroidal changes. The clinical interpretation of the ophthalmoscopic picture is of valuable prognostic significance. The relation of heredity to albinism, nystagmus, color blindness, turricephaly, cataract, and corneal dystrophies is estab lished. Suggestions for future investiga tions along these lines are listed. For tunately, a glossary of technical terms of inheritance is contained in this section. The following hereditary syndromes with ocular manifestations are presented by Sorsby: Oxycephaly ; acrocephalosyndactylia; fragile bones, otosclerosis, and blue sclerotics; apical dystrophy of the hands and feet; macular coloboma; and the Laurence-Moon-Biedl syndrome of obe sity, hypogenitalism, mental deficiency, polydactyly, and retinal pigmentary de generation. The better known syndromes of Nieman-Pick, Tay-Sachs, and Wil son's hepato-lenticular degeneration are included. Part II—Diagnostic procedures. The sections on clinical perimetry by Traquair, angioscotometry by Magitot, and the diagnosis of the preglaucomatous state by H. S. Cradle are excellent but difficult to abstract. Arthur J. Bedell discusses color photography; the most satisfactory tech-
1060
BOOK NOTICES
nical procedures are given and the value of moving pictures and serial f undus pho tographs is emphasized. Part III deals with refraction and bin ocular vision. In this section the discus sion of the problem of myopia by Sorsby is most interesting because the approach to the problem has been shifted from the mechanistic—that is, axial elongation of the eye—to the biological approach, which regards myopia as a physiological varia tion on a curve of frequency that can be constructed around a mean. A series of cases of myopic and hypermetropic chil dren followed up over a number of years revealed that 66 percent of the hyper metropic remained stationary, while 35 percent of the myopic behaved similarly. The biological approach to the problem of myopia offers a method of study rather than the solution of the problem. Part IV deals with the physics and chemistry of vision, the biochemistry and metabolism of the eye, and the intraocular pressure. This section reveals the tre mendous amount of work being carried on in the research laboratories of the world and the refinement in biochemical and biophysical technique since the turn of the century. Part V deals with the newer concep tions in pathology. The contributions of embryology and heredity and constitu tional changes are elaborated. The discus sion of the corneal dystrophies and retinal and choroidal abiotrophies is elaborate and excellently illustrated. Part VI deals with treatment. Local chemotherapy, shock therapy, physical therapy, ionization, iontophoresis, galvan ism, electrolysis, high-frequency current, diathermy, coagulation, ultrashort-wave, and actinotherapy are discussed. Modern methods of anesthesia are elaborated by H. B. Stallard. The diathermy treatment of retinal detachment and the results of treatment
are given by H. J. M. Weve along with the method of making a complete and exhaustive examination of the eye. The operative technique is discussed and il lustrated in great detail. Successful results were obtained in 83 percent of 112 eyes during 1937. Weve states that a "skilled operator is in a position to obtain success in about 90 percent of fresh cases of 'ruptural' detachment." There is a chapter on transplantation of the cornea by Filatov who, with his colleagues, had performed 537 trans plantations by the end of 1938. Successful transplants were obtained in 24 percent, using living grafts, and in 52 percent using grafts from cadavers. The tech nique of the operation is well illustrated. Part VII deals with the social aspects of ophthalmology, particularly in avia tion, industry, and chemical warfare. This volume, published in 1940, con tains contributions from well-recognized authorities on three continents and marks a high point in scientific achievement. It also serves as a monument to the univer sality of medical science in these times. William M. James.
CLINICAL ASPECTS O F OCULAR INVOLVEMENT IN LEPERS. By Jose Mendonca de Barros. Paper 79 pages. 60 colored plates and 36 stereo scopic photographs. Archives of the Padre Bento Sanitarium for Preven tion of Leprosy. Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1939. This book, published in the Portuguese language, also contains a slightly con densed translation into English, giving both the text and the legends for all its illustrations. For most English-speaking readers, these illustrations will be the most important part of the book. Since the discovery of the lepra bacillus
sarium at Carville, Louisiana. Among 350 patients examined, only 33 had nor mal eyes. At Hawaii it is believed that, if the patient lives long enough, the eyes are always involved. The eyes, the lids, and the skin of neighboring parts usually give the first evidence of the disease. Many of the lepers in this country have acquired the disease elsewhere; but it is almost impossible to determine just when or where. It is of especial importance that the ophthalmologist should have in mind the manifestations of leprosy, so well described by Prendergast; and that he should be ready to make a tentative diag nosis, even if only by exclusion of the more common causes of similar symp toms. The book of Barros and the paper of Prendergast are good reminders of the fact that our specialty is still a branch of general medicine. Edward Jackson.
BOOK NOTICES MODERN TRENDS IN O P H T H A L MOLOGY. Edited by Frederick Rid ley and Arnold Sorsby. Clothbound, 699 pages, 271 illustrations and 8 col ored plates. Published in London by Rutterworth & Co., 1940. Price 3 0 / This is a new book designed to indicate emergent tendencies and formative influ ences in ophthalmology. It is not a text book, but rather a series of monographs systematizing the information that is coming from the clinics, laboratories, and periodical literature of the world. The general planning of the book is unusual and the material is of wide scope. Part I—Ophthalmology in relation to general medicine. There are sections on allergy, immunity, tuberculosis, virus dis eases, and ophthalmic conditions in tropi cal and subtropical regions. The relation ship between psychological factors and
1059
eye conditions is written by Millias Culpin, a medical psychologist. The discus sion of squint from the psychological angle and the grouping of squint into "imitative," "jealousy," and "fear or shock" cases with the recommendation of psychological treatment is a little discon certing on comparison with the usual text book presentation of strabismus. The demyelinating diseases of the nervous system are discussed by W. Rus sell Brain, and a useful classification of the encephalomyelitic affections is pre sented. J. S. Friedenwald presents the modern aspects of general vascular disease and the associated retinal' and choroidal changes. The clinical interpretation of the ophthalmoscopic picture is of valuable prognostic significance. The relation of heredity to albinism, nystagmus, color blindness, turricephaly, cataract, and corneal dystrophies is estab lished. Suggestions for future investiga tions along these lines are listed. For tunately, a glossary of technical terms of inheritance is contained in this section. The following hereditary syndromes with ocular manifestations are presented by Sorsby: Oxycephaly ; acrocephalosyndactylia; fragile bones, otosclerosis, and blue sclerotics; apical dystrophy of the hands and feet; macular coloboma; and the Laurence-Moon-Biedl syndrome of obe sity, hypogenitalism, mental deficiency, polydactyly, and retinal pigmentary de generation. The better known syndromes of Nieman-Pick, Tay-Sachs, and Wil son's hepato-lenticular degeneration are included. Part II—Diagnostic procedures. The sections on clinical perimetry by Traquair, angioscotometry by Magitot, and the diagnosis of the preglaucomatous state by H. S. Cradle are excellent but difficult to abstract. Arthur J. Bedell discusses color photography; the most satisfactory tech-
1060
BOOK NOTICES
nical procedures are given and the value of moving pictures and serial f undus pho tographs is emphasized. Part III deals with refraction and bin ocular vision. In this section the discus sion of the problem of myopia by Sorsby is most interesting because the approach to the problem has been shifted from the mechanistic—that is, axial elongation of the eye—to the biological approach, which regards myopia as a physiological varia tion on a curve of frequency that can be constructed around a mean. A series of cases of myopic and hypermetropic chil dren followed up over a number of years revealed that 66 percent of the hyper metropic remained stationary, while 35 percent of the myopic behaved similarly. The biological approach to the problem of myopia offers a method of study rather than the solution of the problem. Part IV deals with the physics and chemistry of vision, the biochemistry and metabolism of the eye, and the intraocular pressure. This section reveals the tre mendous amount of work being carried on in the research laboratories of the world and the refinement in biochemical and biophysical technique since the turn of the century. Part V deals with the newer concep tions in pathology. The contributions of embryology and heredity and constitu tional changes are elaborated. The discus sion of the corneal dystrophies and retinal and choroidal abiotrophies is elaborate and excellently illustrated. Part VI deals with treatment. Local chemotherapy, shock therapy, physical therapy, ionization, iontophoresis, galvan ism, electrolysis, high-frequency current, diathermy, coagulation, ultrashort-wave, and actinotherapy are discussed. Modern methods of anesthesia are elaborated by H. B. Stallard. The diathermy treatment of retinal detachment and the results of treatment
are given by H. J. M. Weve along with the method of making a complete and exhaustive examination of the eye. The operative technique is discussed and il lustrated in great detail. Successful results were obtained in 83 percent of 112 eyes during 1937. Weve states that a "skilled operator is in a position to obtain success in about 90 percent of fresh cases of 'ruptural' detachment." There is a chapter on transplantation of the cornea by Filatov who, with his colleagues, had performed 537 trans plantations by the end of 1938. Successful transplants were obtained in 24 percent, using living grafts, and in 52 percent using grafts from cadavers. The tech nique of the operation is well illustrated. Part VII deals with the social aspects of ophthalmology, particularly in avia tion, industry, and chemical warfare. This volume, published in 1940, con tains contributions from well-recognized authorities on three continents and marks a high point in scientific achievement. It also serves as a monument to the univer sality of medical science in these times. William M. James.
CLINICAL ASPECTS O F OCULAR INVOLVEMENT IN LEPERS. By Jose Mendonca de Barros. Paper 79 pages. 60 colored plates and 36 stereo scopic photographs. Archives of the Padre Bento Sanitarium for Preven tion of Leprosy. Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1939. This book, published in the Portuguese language, also contains a slightly con densed translation into English, giving both the text and the legends for all its illustrations. For most English-speaking readers, these illustrations will be the most important part of the book. Since the discovery of the lepra bacillus