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Tonography and Cardiac Rhythm
VOL. 71, NO. 4
945
BOOK R E V I E W S
graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1899, spent two years at the Baltimore E E N T Hospital and then studied in the ophthalmic centers of Europe. On returning, he joined the staff of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary where his superior ophthalmic abilities as clinician, surgeon, and pathologist were soon recognized. He became surgeon in 1913, Chief of Ophthalmic Research in 1925, Director of the newly established Howe Laboratory in 1931. By 1924 he was also Professor of Ophthalmic Research at Harvard Medical School. Verhoeff wrote more than 200 papers which illuminated pathologic, clinical, and surgical subjects, physiologic optics and binocular vision. He received almost every distinction in ophthalmology, including the Knapp, Howe, and Dana medals. In 1964, during his 90th year, the Ophthalmic Pathology Club was renamed the Verhoeff Society in his honor. James E. Lebensohn
CORRESPONDENCE TONOGRAPHY AND CARDIAC RHYTHM
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: When I read the interesting paper on T o nography and Cardiac Rhythm by Drs. Haik, Perez, Reitman, and Massey in the December issue of the JOURNAL (70:929, 1970) I experienced a déjà vu phenomenon. In July, 1920, in the eye of a 34-year-old woman I detected typical changes in the filling of the retinal veins coincident with what the internist diagnosed to be extrasystoles (Muenchen Med. Wschr. 45:1292, 1920). Fifty years ago there was no tonography and the electrocardiogram was in its embryonic stage, but the ophthalmoscope and the primitive methods of pulse registration proved undeniably that the changes in the venous pulsations on the disk corresponded to extrasystoles. Karl W . Ascher
BOOK
REVIEWS
ADVANCES IN OPHTHALMOLOGY, vol. 23. By
M. J. Roper-Hall, H. Sautter, and E. B. Streiff. Basel, S. Karger, 1970. Clothbound, 316 pages, 156 black-and-white illustrations, authors' index. $23.05 In the first chapter of this volume, Prof. Jules François (Belgium) presents a small monograph of 54 pages, 47 good illustrations, and two excellent color plates (histologic) on ocular manifestations in collagenosis (English). Essentially, it is the same review paper that he read at Mar del Plata, Argentina, when he was guest of honor of the Eighth Pan American Congress of Ophthalmology (See Acts of the Congress, vol. 2, March 24-30, 1968, p. 143). He has however, made some important additions and has added some illustrations, especially plates of microphotographs in good color. It is an excellent review, with a comprehensive bibliography, of a subject that is perhaps not as timely as it was a few years ago, but is still of considerable importance, particularly to the clinician. Dr. D. G. F. Harriman (Leeds), in an English article, "Pathological Aspects of Adie's Syndrome" (18 pages, 15 illustrations, extensive bibliography), reports the findings of Adie's syndrome in two necropsies. These suggest that the underlying pathologic process is a degeneration of the parasympathetic neurones in the ciliary ganglion and of isolated neurones in the dorsal root ganglia. The cause is unknown, but the author suggests that a "slow-acting virus" may be responsible. Dr. S. Younessian (Geneva) summarizes (in French) the present information on glaucoma and cataract after general and local corticotherapy (78 pages, 20 illustrations, four tables, 260 references). This important subject has been and is controversial. Here, the author has done a good job of correlation of the facts disclosed in the literature with a careful study of 24 of his own cases. He
945
BOOK R E V I E W S
graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1899, spent two years at the Baltimore E E N T Hospital and then studied in the ophthalmic centers of Europe. On returning, he joined the staff of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary where his superior ophthalmic abilities as clinician, surgeon, and pathologist were soon recognized. He became surgeon in 1913, Chief of Ophthalmic Research in 1925, Director of the newly established Howe Laboratory in 1931. By 1924 he was also Professor of Ophthalmic Research at Harvard Medical School. Verhoeff wrote more than 200 papers which illuminated pathologic, clinical, and surgical subjects, physiologic optics and binocular vision. He received almost every distinction in ophthalmology, including the Knapp, Howe, and Dana medals. In 1964, during his 90th year, the Ophthalmic Pathology Club was renamed the Verhoeff Society in his honor. James E. Lebensohn
CORRESPONDENCE TONOGRAPHY AND CARDIAC RHYTHM
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: When I read the interesting paper on T o nography and Cardiac Rhythm by Drs. Haik, Perez, Reitman, and Massey in the December issue of the JOURNAL (70:929, 1970) I experienced a déjà vu phenomenon. In July, 1920, in the eye of a 34-year-old woman I detected typical changes in the filling of the retinal veins coincident with what the internist diagnosed to be extrasystoles (Muenchen Med. Wschr. 45:1292, 1920). Fifty years ago there was no tonography and the electrocardiogram was in its embryonic stage, but the ophthalmoscope and the primitive methods of pulse registration proved undeniably that the changes in the venous pulsations on the disk corresponded to extrasystoles. Karl W . Ascher
BOOK
REVIEWS
ADVANCES IN OPHTHALMOLOGY, vol. 23. By
M. J. Roper-Hall, H. Sautter, and E. B. Streiff. Basel, S. Karger, 1970. Clothbound, 316 pages, 156 black-and-white illustrations, authors' index. $23.05 In the first chapter of this volume, Prof. Jules François (Belgium) presents a small monograph of 54 pages, 47 good illustrations, and two excellent color plates (histologic) on ocular manifestations in collagenosis (English). Essentially, it is the same review paper that he read at Mar del Plata, Argentina, when he was guest of honor of the Eighth Pan American Congress of Ophthalmology (See Acts of the Congress, vol. 2, March 24-30, 1968, p. 143). He has however, made some important additions and has added some illustrations, especially plates of microphotographs in good color. It is an excellent review, with a comprehensive bibliography, of a subject that is perhaps not as timely as it was a few years ago, but is still of considerable importance, particularly to the clinician. Dr. D. G. F. Harriman (Leeds), in an English article, "Pathological Aspects of Adie's Syndrome" (18 pages, 15 illustrations, extensive bibliography), reports the findings of Adie's syndrome in two necropsies. These suggest that the underlying pathologic process is a degeneration of the parasympathetic neurones in the ciliary ganglion and of isolated neurones in the dorsal root ganglia. The cause is unknown, but the author suggests that a "slow-acting virus" may be responsible. Dr. S. Younessian (Geneva) summarizes (in French) the present information on glaucoma and cataract after general and local corticotherapy (78 pages, 20 illustrations, four tables, 260 references). This important subject has been and is controversial. Here, the author has done a good job of correlation of the facts disclosed in the literature with a careful study of 24 of his own cases. He