- Email: [email protected]
To Improve Our Literature
CORRESPONDENCE
792
new; but to point out the technic of their manufacture which would enable them to be used successfully. To my knowledge trifocal lenses were being made, both ground on and in cemented form, 27 years ago, before I had stud ied medicine, the distant vision thru the top wafer, the reading vision thru the bottom, the principal lens being the intermediate. But they were not suc cessfully adopted and worn, and my article offers a better solution of the problems involved. Fraternally yours, Geneva, N. Y.
JOHN A.
SPENGLER.
To Improve Our Literature. To the Editor: Permit me to make two or three suggestions looking to ward improvement in the writing of medical articles, which apply equally to Ophthalmic journals. In many art icles the introduction is unnecessarily long. This criticism does not hold to the same extent as formerly. The med ical journal is not the place for any thing but the briefest prefatory re marks. When an author is quoted his initials and place of residence should be given with his surname. Not to do this is unfair except in cases where reference is made to men of marked eminence. For example: Dr. H. J. Campbell of Buffalo publishes something and sub sequently a writer refers to it giving credit to "Campbell." His colleagues in his own city might not connect the name with the individual. Were credit given to H. J. Campbell of Buf falo he would be definitely placed. The name of the physician referring the patient to the man who reports the case should be omitted. There are more specific objections, but the information is certainly of no interest or value to the reader. Occasionally one reads,—"and this condition continues to the present." "To the present" is too indefinite. One has not time to ascertain when the ar ticle was written. Most important of all. In case re ports nearly always events of interest are indicated by dates. I t would be
better if periods of time between such events were given. Let me illustrate from the first report I find, "On Sept. 22nd I first saw her (here follows a de scription of the case). On Sept. 26th there was ordered for her etc. etc. On Dec. 3rd the condition was much worse and the eye came to operation." Most case reports have many such dates but this will do for an example. In the above if Sept. 26th and Dec. 3rd have any interest for us it is only in that they indicate periods of time from the beginning of the illness. Reading is made rough and the contin uity of thought is broken when we stop to compute that it was two and a half months before the operation was per formed. Surely this must have occurred to many readers and yet I have seen no suggestion for betterment. It is just as easy for an author to write "four days later," "three and a half months after the first visit," or "twenty days following the operation," etc. There is so much read! Very truly yours, Buffalo, N. Y.
H. W.
COWPER.
CERTIFICATES IN OPHTHAL MOLOGY. At its meeting in Boston in June, The American Board for Ophthalmic Examinations granted its certificate to the following applicants: Barkan, Hans San Francisco, Cal. Bruns, Henry Dickson, New Orleans, La. Carpenter, Ernest W. Greenville, S. C. Carvill, Lizzie Maud ..Boston, Mass. Chapman, Vernon A. Milwaukee, Wis. Clapp, Clyde Alvin ..Baltimore, Md. Curdy, Robert James Kansas City, Mo. Downey, Jesse Wright, Jr. Baltimore, Md. Duckworth, Guilford M. Cuero, Texas. Ellis, Edward K Boston, Mass. Ewing, Arthur E St. Louis, Mo. Fulton, John Farquhar, St. Paul, Minn. Gifford, Sanford R Omaha, Nebr. Goldstein, Isadore . . N e w York City, N. Y. Grosvenor, Lorenze Nelson.. Huron, S. D.
792
new; but to point out the technic of their manufacture which would enable them to be used successfully. To my knowledge trifocal lenses were being made, both ground on and in cemented form, 27 years ago, before I had stud ied medicine, the distant vision thru the top wafer, the reading vision thru the bottom, the principal lens being the intermediate. But they were not suc cessfully adopted and worn, and my article offers a better solution of the problems involved. Fraternally yours, Geneva, N. Y.
JOHN A.
SPENGLER.
To Improve Our Literature. To the Editor: Permit me to make two or three suggestions looking to ward improvement in the writing of medical articles, which apply equally to Ophthalmic journals. In many art icles the introduction is unnecessarily long. This criticism does not hold to the same extent as formerly. The med ical journal is not the place for any thing but the briefest prefatory re marks. When an author is quoted his initials and place of residence should be given with his surname. Not to do this is unfair except in cases where reference is made to men of marked eminence. For example: Dr. H. J. Campbell of Buffalo publishes something and sub sequently a writer refers to it giving credit to "Campbell." His colleagues in his own city might not connect the name with the individual. Were credit given to H. J. Campbell of Buf falo he would be definitely placed. The name of the physician referring the patient to the man who reports the case should be omitted. There are more specific objections, but the information is certainly of no interest or value to the reader. Occasionally one reads,—"and this condition continues to the present." "To the present" is too indefinite. One has not time to ascertain when the ar ticle was written. Most important of all. In case re ports nearly always events of interest are indicated by dates. I t would be
better if periods of time between such events were given. Let me illustrate from the first report I find, "On Sept. 22nd I first saw her (here follows a de scription of the case). On Sept. 26th there was ordered for her etc. etc. On Dec. 3rd the condition was much worse and the eye came to operation." Most case reports have many such dates but this will do for an example. In the above if Sept. 26th and Dec. 3rd have any interest for us it is only in that they indicate periods of time from the beginning of the illness. Reading is made rough and the contin uity of thought is broken when we stop to compute that it was two and a half months before the operation was per formed. Surely this must have occurred to many readers and yet I have seen no suggestion for betterment. It is just as easy for an author to write "four days later," "three and a half months after the first visit," or "twenty days following the operation," etc. There is so much read! Very truly yours, Buffalo, N. Y.
H. W.
COWPER.
CERTIFICATES IN OPHTHAL MOLOGY. At its meeting in Boston in June, The American Board for Ophthalmic Examinations granted its certificate to the following applicants: Barkan, Hans San Francisco, Cal. Bruns, Henry Dickson, New Orleans, La. Carpenter, Ernest W. Greenville, S. C. Carvill, Lizzie Maud ..Boston, Mass. Chapman, Vernon A. Milwaukee, Wis. Clapp, Clyde Alvin ..Baltimore, Md. Curdy, Robert James Kansas City, Mo. Downey, Jesse Wright, Jr. Baltimore, Md. Duckworth, Guilford M. Cuero, Texas. Ellis, Edward K Boston, Mass. Ewing, Arthur E St. Louis, Mo. Fulton, John Farquhar, St. Paul, Minn. Gifford, Sanford R Omaha, Nebr. Goldstein, Isadore . . N e w York City, N. Y. Grosvenor, Lorenze Nelson.. Huron, S. D.