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Periodicals of Special Interest to Blind Persons
BOOK REVIEWS
322
gardless of the number of years of their ex perience, will find it most useful. Derrick Vail. P U B L I C A T I O N S : A M E R I C A N FOUNDATION FOR
T H E BLIND, N e w York, 1956 F I L M S RELATING TO BLINDNESS A N D WORK WITH
BLIND PERSONS. E d i t e d by
M.
R.
Barnett. 20 pages. Price: 35 cents. This catalog lists the numerous films now available on the many aspects of blindness. Most of the entries are 16-mm. motion pic tures with sound; some are in color. T h e running time ranges from 10 to 60 minutes.
Among the major causes of blindness a r e smallpox, keratomalacia, epidemic dropsy glaucoma, couching for cataract, and tra choma. Since 1949, the W e s t Bengal govern ment has opened dispensaries and hospitals throughout the country. T h e association it self sponsors five travelling eye dispensaries, one for each division of Bengal. T h e cri teria for the various degrees of blindness are discussed by various authorities. D r . F r a n k lin M . Foote notes that, from the standpoint of the United States federal income tax, blindness is defined as a corrected acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye or a visual field reduced to 20 degrees or less in its widest diameter. James E . Lebensohn.
PERIODICALS OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO BLIND
PERSONS. Edited by M. R. Barnett. 35 pages, index. Price: 35 cents. F o u r braille periodicals are published in Canada and 102 in the United States. Eight are reprints of inkprint current events papers. Nine periodicals are published as Talking Books. ASSOCIATION
FOR
THE
PREVENTION
OF
BLINDNESS, BENGAL. Silver Jubilee Bul letin. Calcutta, Sri Gouranga Press, 1955. 74 pages with illustrations. P r i c e : R s 0.12. The Association for the Prevention of Blindness in Bengal is a private organiza tion, though generously subsidized by public and civic funds. T h e project was inspired by the late M r s . Winifred Mather, founder of the N e w York Association for the Blind, who visited Calcutta in 1929 and donated the initial contribution and two educational films. Propaganda has extended to lectures, posters, radio talks in English and Bengali, census studies, and prize contests on the theme of blindness prevention. T h e rate of blindness (inability to count fingers) is very high, 14 per 1,000—sevenfold that in the United States. A n extensive study has shown that 50 percent of the blindness was curable, and another 42 percent preventable.
H I S T O R I A DE LA OFTALMOLOGIA E N V E N E
ZUELA
HASTA
1955.
By
Jose
Manuel
Espino. Caracas. Imprenta Nacional, 1955. Paper-bound, 242 pages. Price Not listed. This extensive and detailed history of ophthalmology in Venezuela is conveniently provided with adequate three-page sum maries in Spanish, French, German, and English. T h e first of nine chapters is de voted to a description of native therapeutics, the second to the colonial era before ophthal mologists were available. T h e modern period begins with the opening of the Vargas H o s pital in Caracas in 1891. T h e work and pub lication of the outstanding ophthalmologist is recorded in detail. F u r t h e r chapters deal with ophthalmology and public health, the teaching of ophthalmology, the ophthalmological societies, a directory of all Vene zuelan ophthalmologists and their bibliog raphies, and the status of optometry in Venezuela. All the information that one could desire is perspicuously arranged from several points of view and the book is a mine of complete, easily accessible informa tion. F . H . Haessler.
322
gardless of the number of years of their ex perience, will find it most useful. Derrick Vail. P U B L I C A T I O N S : A M E R I C A N FOUNDATION FOR
T H E BLIND, N e w York, 1956 F I L M S RELATING TO BLINDNESS A N D WORK WITH
BLIND PERSONS. E d i t e d by
M.
R.
Barnett. 20 pages. Price: 35 cents. This catalog lists the numerous films now available on the many aspects of blindness. Most of the entries are 16-mm. motion pic tures with sound; some are in color. T h e running time ranges from 10 to 60 minutes.
Among the major causes of blindness a r e smallpox, keratomalacia, epidemic dropsy glaucoma, couching for cataract, and tra choma. Since 1949, the W e s t Bengal govern ment has opened dispensaries and hospitals throughout the country. T h e association it self sponsors five travelling eye dispensaries, one for each division of Bengal. T h e cri teria for the various degrees of blindness are discussed by various authorities. D r . F r a n k lin M . Foote notes that, from the standpoint of the United States federal income tax, blindness is defined as a corrected acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye or a visual field reduced to 20 degrees or less in its widest diameter. James E . Lebensohn.
PERIODICALS OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO BLIND
PERSONS. Edited by M. R. Barnett. 35 pages, index. Price: 35 cents. F o u r braille periodicals are published in Canada and 102 in the United States. Eight are reprints of inkprint current events papers. Nine periodicals are published as Talking Books. ASSOCIATION
FOR
THE
PREVENTION
OF
BLINDNESS, BENGAL. Silver Jubilee Bul letin. Calcutta, Sri Gouranga Press, 1955. 74 pages with illustrations. P r i c e : R s 0.12. The Association for the Prevention of Blindness in Bengal is a private organiza tion, though generously subsidized by public and civic funds. T h e project was inspired by the late M r s . Winifred Mather, founder of the N e w York Association for the Blind, who visited Calcutta in 1929 and donated the initial contribution and two educational films. Propaganda has extended to lectures, posters, radio talks in English and Bengali, census studies, and prize contests on the theme of blindness prevention. T h e rate of blindness (inability to count fingers) is very high, 14 per 1,000—sevenfold that in the United States. A n extensive study has shown that 50 percent of the blindness was curable, and another 42 percent preventable.
H I S T O R I A DE LA OFTALMOLOGIA E N V E N E
ZUELA
HASTA
1955.
By
Jose
Manuel
Espino. Caracas. Imprenta Nacional, 1955. Paper-bound, 242 pages. Price Not listed. This extensive and detailed history of ophthalmology in Venezuela is conveniently provided with adequate three-page sum maries in Spanish, French, German, and English. T h e first of nine chapters is de voted to a description of native therapeutics, the second to the colonial era before ophthal mologists were available. T h e modern period begins with the opening of the Vargas H o s pital in Caracas in 1891. T h e work and pub lication of the outstanding ophthalmologist is recorded in detail. F u r t h e r chapters deal with ophthalmology and public health, the teaching of ophthalmology, the ophthalmological societies, a directory of all Vene zuelan ophthalmologists and their bibliog raphies, and the status of optometry in Venezuela. All the information that one could desire is perspicuously arranged from several points of view and the book is a mine of complete, easily accessible informa tion. F . H . Haessler.