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The Eye and its Function
478
BOOK
REVIEWS
mum of text and a maximum of illustrations by the remarkable Daisy Stillwell. H e r line drawings are superb. As noted above, the second half of this Atlas is entirely new and is a remarkable piece of work. It brings together techniques of plastic surgery hitherto available only in scattered volumes and no detail is too small to receive elaborate and detailed attention. For example, in the description of the reattachment of the medial canthal ligament to bone, a point is made that one of the two holes in the bone should be larger to facilitate passage of the needle and to receive the tip of the ligament. Many such "tips" abound. Other details unobtainable elsewhere in the ophthalmic literature are the descriptions of repair of "baggy" lids and the removal of herniated fat from the eyelids. A s in the first half of this book only one procedure is usually given for each condition. These are obviously the methods of choice of the author and he has chosen to describe these in great detail rather than cover a great many procedures superficially.
By Francis Heed Adler, M.D. Philadelphia and London, W . B. Saunders Company, 1 9 6 2 , seventh edition. 5 4 5 pages and index. Price:
TEXTBOOK OF OPHTHALMOLOGY.
$9.00.
This new edition of a widely used textbook on ophthalmology should continue to serve the purpose intended by its originator, the late Dr. Sanford R . Gifford. H e conceived the idea of a book suitable for medical students and general practitioners more complete and informative than a mere outline but lacking the detailed information essential to the ophthalmologist. B y the time of Dr. Gifford's death in 1 9 4 4 three editions had appeared. The present edition is the fourth compiled by Dr. Adler and, as is to be expected, many changes and improvements have been instituted gradually over the intervening years so that only a few illustrations remain from the original text and the Gifford name has now been dropped from the title of the book. The author writes clearly and simply in a style which the student or general physiIn a few instances error has crept in but cian should fine interesting and easy to folthese are minor in nature. In describing Dr. low. Copious illustrations help to clarify the T. Gundersen's conjunctival flap, the author descriptive text. A n innovation which should changes the final "e" in this ophthalmoloprove helpful to the uninitiated is the ingist's name to an "o", thus facilely moving troductory chapter on the "Symptomatology Dr. Gundersen's ancestors in one short moof eye disease." A study of this section may ment from Scandinavia to Anglia. Also the assist the neophyte in further search for noises emanating from Detroit might be the differential diagnosis of ocular disease. grumbling of Dr. Jack Guyton on finding This book continues to fill a most imporan "r" inserted in the first syllable of his tant place in the teaching of undergraduate name. ( O n the other hand he might well medical students and as a reference book for prefer to have some stranger named Gruythe internist or general practitioner and in its ton associated with a troublesome and often most recent edition can be recommended unsuccessful technique of ptosis repair.) without qualification. The index of instruments that closes the William A. Mann. text is most valuable, but no general index is available and the table of contents does T H E E Y E A N D ITS FUNCTION. By R. A. not begin to reveal the wealth of detail in Weale. London, The Hatton Press, Ltd., this superb text. This omission should be 1 9 6 0 . 2 0 9 pages, 1 3 8 illustrations, selected corrected in the next edition. Every ophreferences, index. Price: 5 5 shillings. thalmic surgeon should buy two of these R . A. Weale, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Lond.), is a atlases—one for himself and a second for senior lecturer and head of the Department his senior resident. of Physiological Optics, Institute of OphDavid Shoch.
BOOK
479
REVIEWS
thalmology, University of London. In his introduction, he points out the need to study the eye from a functional point of view, and addresses his book "less to the future ophthalmologist—already well served by some of the above authors (Dawson, Adler, Schober, Pirenne, LeGrand)—than to those who use the eye and wish to read about its function." One would assume from this that the book is designed for the intelligent layman. But I think it is a little too deep for that purpose. The student in biology or physiologic optics at the college level will find it informative and well written and therefore a useful text. The illustrations are well chosen, and the ophthalmologist w h o might read this work will find familiar old friends from Wolff, Duke-Elder, Pirenne, Hartridge and others. It is good seed to sow in the college, for who knows but that some bright university student might be stirred to consider ophthalomolgy as a career. Derrick Vail.
early childhood remains high, the globe does not expand and remains hyperopic. Normally, however, the parasympathetic tone is sufficiently released to attain emmetropia between the sixth and 10th year. The third factor causes myopia from further expansion of the globe, and the myopia may be accentuated by an accompanying increase of corneal curvature. This conception supports treatment of myopia by full correction (or even slight overcorrection) with the objective of enhancing the tone of the ciliary muscle; and by inference would oppose prolonged atropinization as has been at times recommended. In presbyopia, the outward movement of the apex of the ciliary muscle consequent to the expansion of the lens results in lessened muscular efficiency. Hence, regardless of the hardening of the lens, a stronger ciliary muscle contraction is then required to produce an equal amount of accommodation. James E . Lebensohn.
TRANSACTIONS OF T H E PACIFIC COAST O T O OPHTHALMOLOGICAL ON
EMMETROPIA
A N D
AMETROPIA.
By
G. W . H . M. Van Alphen. Supplement to Ophthalmologica, volume 142. Basel, S. Karger, 1961 ( U . S. distributor, A . J. Phiebig, P.O. B o x 352, White Plains, N e w York). Paperbound, 92 pages, 21 figures, 16 tables, bibliography. Price: $4.50 postpaid.
SOCIETY,
1961.
Edited by Earle H. McBain, M . D . 423 pages and index. Published by the society.
of the 45th annual The Transactions meeting of this outstanding Pacific Coast specialty society, held April 30-May 4, 1961, at Palm Springs, California, reflect the high standards maintained by the organization since its founding in 1911. In addition to The author finds that the intercorrelations the usual roster of members, constitution between the optical elements of the eye are and by-laws, list of instruction courses, and based on three elements. The genetic factor minutes of the proceedings and council meetconcerns inherent differences in the size of ing, there is presented the full text of all the eye. Because the enlargement is in all papers read at the meeting. dimensions, flatter corneas occur in larger Some 10 papers are devoted to ophthaleyes. The more important stretch factor cor- mology, in addition to those concerned with relates lens power, chamber depth and axial oto-laryngology and three papers of general length. This is the result of intraocular pres- interest. T w o of the latter deal with atherosure which, as his experimental evidence in- sclerosis and coronary artery disease, subdicates, is resisted more or less by the tonus jects of concern to the doctor as well as his of the ciliary muscle-choroid layer and hence patients. Meyer Friedman presents a timely this tonus determines the final ocular refrac- and practical discussion of "Diet and betion. If the parasympathetic dominance of havior patterns in their relation to the patho-
BOOK
REVIEWS
mum of text and a maximum of illustrations by the remarkable Daisy Stillwell. H e r line drawings are superb. As noted above, the second half of this Atlas is entirely new and is a remarkable piece of work. It brings together techniques of plastic surgery hitherto available only in scattered volumes and no detail is too small to receive elaborate and detailed attention. For example, in the description of the reattachment of the medial canthal ligament to bone, a point is made that one of the two holes in the bone should be larger to facilitate passage of the needle and to receive the tip of the ligament. Many such "tips" abound. Other details unobtainable elsewhere in the ophthalmic literature are the descriptions of repair of "baggy" lids and the removal of herniated fat from the eyelids. A s in the first half of this book only one procedure is usually given for each condition. These are obviously the methods of choice of the author and he has chosen to describe these in great detail rather than cover a great many procedures superficially.
By Francis Heed Adler, M.D. Philadelphia and London, W . B. Saunders Company, 1 9 6 2 , seventh edition. 5 4 5 pages and index. Price:
TEXTBOOK OF OPHTHALMOLOGY.
$9.00.
This new edition of a widely used textbook on ophthalmology should continue to serve the purpose intended by its originator, the late Dr. Sanford R . Gifford. H e conceived the idea of a book suitable for medical students and general practitioners more complete and informative than a mere outline but lacking the detailed information essential to the ophthalmologist. B y the time of Dr. Gifford's death in 1 9 4 4 three editions had appeared. The present edition is the fourth compiled by Dr. Adler and, as is to be expected, many changes and improvements have been instituted gradually over the intervening years so that only a few illustrations remain from the original text and the Gifford name has now been dropped from the title of the book. The author writes clearly and simply in a style which the student or general physiIn a few instances error has crept in but cian should fine interesting and easy to folthese are minor in nature. In describing Dr. low. Copious illustrations help to clarify the T. Gundersen's conjunctival flap, the author descriptive text. A n innovation which should changes the final "e" in this ophthalmoloprove helpful to the uninitiated is the ingist's name to an "o", thus facilely moving troductory chapter on the "Symptomatology Dr. Gundersen's ancestors in one short moof eye disease." A study of this section may ment from Scandinavia to Anglia. Also the assist the neophyte in further search for noises emanating from Detroit might be the differential diagnosis of ocular disease. grumbling of Dr. Jack Guyton on finding This book continues to fill a most imporan "r" inserted in the first syllable of his tant place in the teaching of undergraduate name. ( O n the other hand he might well medical students and as a reference book for prefer to have some stranger named Gruythe internist or general practitioner and in its ton associated with a troublesome and often most recent edition can be recommended unsuccessful technique of ptosis repair.) without qualification. The index of instruments that closes the William A. Mann. text is most valuable, but no general index is available and the table of contents does T H E E Y E A N D ITS FUNCTION. By R. A. not begin to reveal the wealth of detail in Weale. London, The Hatton Press, Ltd., this superb text. This omission should be 1 9 6 0 . 2 0 9 pages, 1 3 8 illustrations, selected corrected in the next edition. Every ophreferences, index. Price: 5 5 shillings. thalmic surgeon should buy two of these R . A. Weale, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Lond.), is a atlases—one for himself and a second for senior lecturer and head of the Department his senior resident. of Physiological Optics, Institute of OphDavid Shoch.
BOOK
479
REVIEWS
thalmology, University of London. In his introduction, he points out the need to study the eye from a functional point of view, and addresses his book "less to the future ophthalmologist—already well served by some of the above authors (Dawson, Adler, Schober, Pirenne, LeGrand)—than to those who use the eye and wish to read about its function." One would assume from this that the book is designed for the intelligent layman. But I think it is a little too deep for that purpose. The student in biology or physiologic optics at the college level will find it informative and well written and therefore a useful text. The illustrations are well chosen, and the ophthalmologist w h o might read this work will find familiar old friends from Wolff, Duke-Elder, Pirenne, Hartridge and others. It is good seed to sow in the college, for who knows but that some bright university student might be stirred to consider ophthalomolgy as a career. Derrick Vail.
early childhood remains high, the globe does not expand and remains hyperopic. Normally, however, the parasympathetic tone is sufficiently released to attain emmetropia between the sixth and 10th year. The third factor causes myopia from further expansion of the globe, and the myopia may be accentuated by an accompanying increase of corneal curvature. This conception supports treatment of myopia by full correction (or even slight overcorrection) with the objective of enhancing the tone of the ciliary muscle; and by inference would oppose prolonged atropinization as has been at times recommended. In presbyopia, the outward movement of the apex of the ciliary muscle consequent to the expansion of the lens results in lessened muscular efficiency. Hence, regardless of the hardening of the lens, a stronger ciliary muscle contraction is then required to produce an equal amount of accommodation. James E . Lebensohn.
TRANSACTIONS OF T H E PACIFIC COAST O T O OPHTHALMOLOGICAL ON
EMMETROPIA
A N D
AMETROPIA.
By
G. W . H . M. Van Alphen. Supplement to Ophthalmologica, volume 142. Basel, S. Karger, 1961 ( U . S. distributor, A . J. Phiebig, P.O. B o x 352, White Plains, N e w York). Paperbound, 92 pages, 21 figures, 16 tables, bibliography. Price: $4.50 postpaid.
SOCIETY,
1961.
Edited by Earle H. McBain, M . D . 423 pages and index. Published by the society.
of the 45th annual The Transactions meeting of this outstanding Pacific Coast specialty society, held April 30-May 4, 1961, at Palm Springs, California, reflect the high standards maintained by the organization since its founding in 1911. In addition to The author finds that the intercorrelations the usual roster of members, constitution between the optical elements of the eye are and by-laws, list of instruction courses, and based on three elements. The genetic factor minutes of the proceedings and council meetconcerns inherent differences in the size of ing, there is presented the full text of all the eye. Because the enlargement is in all papers read at the meeting. dimensions, flatter corneas occur in larger Some 10 papers are devoted to ophthaleyes. The more important stretch factor cor- mology, in addition to those concerned with relates lens power, chamber depth and axial oto-laryngology and three papers of general length. This is the result of intraocular pres- interest. T w o of the latter deal with atherosure which, as his experimental evidence in- sclerosis and coronary artery disease, subdicates, is resisted more or less by the tonus jects of concern to the doctor as well as his of the ciliary muscle-choroid layer and hence patients. Meyer Friedman presents a timely this tonus determines the final ocular refrac- and practical discussion of "Diet and betion. If the parasympathetic dominance of havior patterns in their relation to the patho-