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Standardization of Terminology
CORRESPONDENCE BOOK
CHAPTERS
Operations on the ocular muscles. Chapter L X V I I I in The Eye and Its Diseases edited by Conrad Berens. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1949, pp. 963-981. Light and lighting. Chapter X in The Eye and Its Diseases edited by Conrad Berens. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1949, pp. 81-90. The following chapters all appeared in Strabis mus Ophthalmic Symposium ( I ) , edited by James H. Allen, M.D., St. Louis. Mosby, 1950. Terminology, with extended comments on the posi tion of rest and on fixation. Chapter V I I I , pp. 159-178. 159-178. Measurements of deviations. Chapter X I V , pp. 291-298. Factors underestimated, features overemphasized, and comments on classification. Chapter X X V , pp. 423-441. BOOKS
Refraction and Motility. in 1952.)
(To be released by Thomas
CORRESPONDENCE RETROLENTAL FIBROPLASIA
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: I am writing in regard to the first article in the December, 1951, AMERICAN JOURNAL
of OPHTHALMOLOGY on retrolental fibro plasia. When we are dealing with an unknown quantity our minds should be kept open. Often positive statements may prevent real solution. The first statement in the abovementioned article is a direct statement with out qualification, that discovery has been made that retrolental fibroplasia was directly related to oxygen environment. We have an excellent premature station here at Children's Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. We have complete Isolet service with oxygen for all babies. Oxygen is used con tinuously until the child is ready to go to the graduate nursery for discharge (weight five pounds). Many of our babies stay in oxygen for 60 to 90 days. In spite of this we have had eight cases of retrolental fibroplasia this past year. The eyeground checks have not been
431
universal but those made have failed to show any eyeground changes up to the time of discharge either in or out of oxygen. I am writing this not to raise an issue, but to voice a note of caution. Observations must be carried on in larger series, and must be confirmed by other investigators before final conclusions can be drawn. We must remember that writings accepted by the JOURNAL carry weight with those who read them. (Signed) H. D. Long, Chattanooga, Tennessee. STANDARDIZATION OF TERMINOLOGY
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: I should like to call the attention of your contributors and readers to an inconsistency in ophthalmological orthography and to plead for a standardization of terminology. Phacoerysis, the technique known also as Barraquer's method after the originator of the procedure in cataract surgery, appears in English in four forms among the 79 refer ences listed in the Index Catalogue of the Surgeon General's Office (facoerisis, phacoerisis, phacoerisis, phakoerisis1) ; in three forms in two standard medical dictionaries (phacoerysis2 phacoerisis, and phakoerisis 3 ) ; in two forms in an index of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (phacoeresis and phacoerisis 4 ); and in additional form in periodical literature (facoeresis 5 ). The name of the instrument entertains the same pattern of variation: erysiphake,8 erisophake,7 erisifaco,8 erisiphaque,9 exisiphake,10 eresiphake,11 and erisophac.12 In his original article Barraquer gave the derivation of the instrument as Greek, from epuat?, a drawing (or sucking) out, and
432
BOOK REVIEWS
erysiphake respectively. Although purist preference nominates these spellings, recent usage seems to favor phacoerisis and erisophake. In any event, the present system of numerous variants for a 35-year-old pro cedure should be abandoned and uniform spelling should be adopted. (Signed) ( M r s . ) Thelma Charen, Subject Header, Current List of Medical Literature, A r m y Medical Library, W a s h ington, D.C. REFERENCES
1. Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office, United States Army (Army Medical Library). 4th ser. Washington, United States Government Printing Office, 1938, v. 3, pp. 286-287. 2. American Illustrated Medical Dictionary. Ed. by W. A. Newman Dorland. 22d ed. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1951, p. 1135. 3. Blakiston's New Gould Medical Dictionary. Philadelphia, Blakiston, 1949, pp. 353; 757. 4. Am. J. Ophth., 18: Subject Index (Jan.-June) 1935. 5. Mills, L.: Facoerisis. Am. J. Ophth., 6:902, 1923. 6. American Illustrated Medical Dictionary, p. 518. 7. Ibid., p. 352. Harrington, D. O.; A new simplified eriso phake in cataract extraction. Am. J. Ophth., 34:435437, 1951. 8. Fisher, W. A.: Senile cataract. Chicago, Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat College 1923. Facoerisis by Ignacio Barraquer (trans, by A. G. Wippern), pp. 13-106. 9. Barraquer, I.: Phacoerisis. Arch. Ophth., 50: 313, 1921. 10. Ubaldo, A. R.: Cataract extraction after Barraquer's method of phakoerisis. Am. J. Ophth., 6:906; 907, 1923. 11. Thomas, C. I.: Cataract extraction by the suction method. Arch. Ophth., 39:807, 1948. Veirs, E. R.: The use of eresiphake in cataract extraction. Southern M. J., 42:392-395, 1949. 12. Cruikshank, M. M.: Phacoerisis. Brit. J. Ophth., 9:327, 1925. 13. Barraquer, I.: Un procede d'extreme douceur pour l'extraction in toto de la cataracte. Clinique ophtal., 22:333, 1917.
BOOK REVIEWS T U M O R S OF T H E E Y E . By Algernon B. Reese. New York, Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., 1951. Cloth binding, 560 pages, 511 illustrations, 122 in full color, bibliographies, index. P r i c e : $20.00. "It is better not to treat anyone afflicted with occult cancers, for if one treats them, they rapidly die; if one does not treat them, life is prolonged." Hippocrates, Aphorisms, 16 :38 (Littre, 4:573, 1844.) This is one of the most important books on a special subject in ophthalmology that has appeared in more than several decades. The years of experience of its author in the clinic and in the pathologic laboratory, the meticulous care of his study reflected on every page, his scientific integrity, and his lucid style assure an accuracy of text that will be difficult to equal and impossible to surpass. H i s choice of beautiful and clear illustrations has been exceedingly apt, and their reproduction is the highest achievement of the bookmaker's art. W e are most grateful to author and publisher for this superb tool. Although ophthalmic literature has been extraordinarily rich in articles on neoplasms of the eye and orbit, there have been very few books devoted to this important subject. In 1868, our own H e r m a n n K n a p p published a book on "Die Intraocularen Geschwulste" ( K a r l s r u h e ) which created wide interest. In 1886, the Portuguese, da Gama Pinto, pub lished a monograph, "Uber Intraocularen Tumoren" (Wiesbaden). A n important step forward was the appearance in 1901 and 1904 of the first scientific work, Pierre Lagrange's "Traite des T u m e u r s de TOeil" ( P a r i s ) in two volumes. In 1926, Victor M o r a x issued his "Cancer de l'Appareil Visuel" (G. D o i n ) , a volume of 495 pages and four color plates of photographs beautifully reproduced. M o r a x ' s contribution included not only his own important observations but a complete review of the literature since the publication of Lagrange's work. Twenty-five years later
CHAPTERS
Operations on the ocular muscles. Chapter L X V I I I in The Eye and Its Diseases edited by Conrad Berens. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1949, pp. 963-981. Light and lighting. Chapter X in The Eye and Its Diseases edited by Conrad Berens. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1949, pp. 81-90. The following chapters all appeared in Strabis mus Ophthalmic Symposium ( I ) , edited by James H. Allen, M.D., St. Louis. Mosby, 1950. Terminology, with extended comments on the posi tion of rest and on fixation. Chapter V I I I , pp. 159-178. 159-178. Measurements of deviations. Chapter X I V , pp. 291-298. Factors underestimated, features overemphasized, and comments on classification. Chapter X X V , pp. 423-441. BOOKS
Refraction and Motility. in 1952.)
(To be released by Thomas
CORRESPONDENCE RETROLENTAL FIBROPLASIA
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: I am writing in regard to the first article in the December, 1951, AMERICAN JOURNAL
of OPHTHALMOLOGY on retrolental fibro plasia. When we are dealing with an unknown quantity our minds should be kept open. Often positive statements may prevent real solution. The first statement in the abovementioned article is a direct statement with out qualification, that discovery has been made that retrolental fibroplasia was directly related to oxygen environment. We have an excellent premature station here at Children's Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. We have complete Isolet service with oxygen for all babies. Oxygen is used con tinuously until the child is ready to go to the graduate nursery for discharge (weight five pounds). Many of our babies stay in oxygen for 60 to 90 days. In spite of this we have had eight cases of retrolental fibroplasia this past year. The eyeground checks have not been
431
universal but those made have failed to show any eyeground changes up to the time of discharge either in or out of oxygen. I am writing this not to raise an issue, but to voice a note of caution. Observations must be carried on in larger series, and must be confirmed by other investigators before final conclusions can be drawn. We must remember that writings accepted by the JOURNAL carry weight with those who read them. (Signed) H. D. Long, Chattanooga, Tennessee. STANDARDIZATION OF TERMINOLOGY
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: I should like to call the attention of your contributors and readers to an inconsistency in ophthalmological orthography and to plead for a standardization of terminology. Phacoerysis, the technique known also as Barraquer's method after the originator of the procedure in cataract surgery, appears in English in four forms among the 79 refer ences listed in the Index Catalogue of the Surgeon General's Office (facoerisis, phacoerisis, phacoerisis, phakoerisis1) ; in three forms in two standard medical dictionaries (phacoerysis2 phacoerisis, and phakoerisis 3 ) ; in two forms in an index of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (phacoeresis and phacoerisis 4 ); and in additional form in periodical literature (facoeresis 5 ). The name of the instrument entertains the same pattern of variation: erysiphake,8 erisophake,7 erisifaco,8 erisiphaque,9 exisiphake,10 eresiphake,11 and erisophac.12 In his original article Barraquer gave the derivation of the instrument as Greek, from epuat?, a drawing (or sucking) out, and
432
BOOK REVIEWS
erysiphake respectively. Although purist preference nominates these spellings, recent usage seems to favor phacoerisis and erisophake. In any event, the present system of numerous variants for a 35-year-old pro cedure should be abandoned and uniform spelling should be adopted. (Signed) ( M r s . ) Thelma Charen, Subject Header, Current List of Medical Literature, A r m y Medical Library, W a s h ington, D.C. REFERENCES
1. Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office, United States Army (Army Medical Library). 4th ser. Washington, United States Government Printing Office, 1938, v. 3, pp. 286-287. 2. American Illustrated Medical Dictionary. Ed. by W. A. Newman Dorland. 22d ed. Philadelphia, Saunders, 1951, p. 1135. 3. Blakiston's New Gould Medical Dictionary. Philadelphia, Blakiston, 1949, pp. 353; 757. 4. Am. J. Ophth., 18: Subject Index (Jan.-June) 1935. 5. Mills, L.: Facoerisis. Am. J. Ophth., 6:902, 1923. 6. American Illustrated Medical Dictionary, p. 518. 7. Ibid., p. 352. Harrington, D. O.; A new simplified eriso phake in cataract extraction. Am. J. Ophth., 34:435437, 1951. 8. Fisher, W. A.: Senile cataract. Chicago, Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat College 1923. Facoerisis by Ignacio Barraquer (trans, by A. G. Wippern), pp. 13-106. 9. Barraquer, I.: Phacoerisis. Arch. Ophth., 50: 313, 1921. 10. Ubaldo, A. R.: Cataract extraction after Barraquer's method of phakoerisis. Am. J. Ophth., 6:906; 907, 1923. 11. Thomas, C. I.: Cataract extraction by the suction method. Arch. Ophth., 39:807, 1948. Veirs, E. R.: The use of eresiphake in cataract extraction. Southern M. J., 42:392-395, 1949. 12. Cruikshank, M. M.: Phacoerisis. Brit. J. Ophth., 9:327, 1925. 13. Barraquer, I.: Un procede d'extreme douceur pour l'extraction in toto de la cataracte. Clinique ophtal., 22:333, 1917.
BOOK REVIEWS T U M O R S OF T H E E Y E . By Algernon B. Reese. New York, Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., 1951. Cloth binding, 560 pages, 511 illustrations, 122 in full color, bibliographies, index. P r i c e : $20.00. "It is better not to treat anyone afflicted with occult cancers, for if one treats them, they rapidly die; if one does not treat them, life is prolonged." Hippocrates, Aphorisms, 16 :38 (Littre, 4:573, 1844.) This is one of the most important books on a special subject in ophthalmology that has appeared in more than several decades. The years of experience of its author in the clinic and in the pathologic laboratory, the meticulous care of his study reflected on every page, his scientific integrity, and his lucid style assure an accuracy of text that will be difficult to equal and impossible to surpass. H i s choice of beautiful and clear illustrations has been exceedingly apt, and their reproduction is the highest achievement of the bookmaker's art. W e are most grateful to author and publisher for this superb tool. Although ophthalmic literature has been extraordinarily rich in articles on neoplasms of the eye and orbit, there have been very few books devoted to this important subject. In 1868, our own H e r m a n n K n a p p published a book on "Die Intraocularen Geschwulste" ( K a r l s r u h e ) which created wide interest. In 1886, the Portuguese, da Gama Pinto, pub lished a monograph, "Uber Intraocularen Tumoren" (Wiesbaden). A n important step forward was the appearance in 1901 and 1904 of the first scientific work, Pierre Lagrange's "Traite des T u m e u r s de TOeil" ( P a r i s ) in two volumes. In 1926, Victor M o r a x issued his "Cancer de l'Appareil Visuel" (G. D o i n ) , a volume of 495 pages and four color plates of photographs beautifully reproduced. M o r a x ' s contribution included not only his own important observations but a complete review of the literature since the publication of Lagrange's work. Twenty-five years later