, I V I NEIWSLETTER OF THE {243 North Vol. 13 __oPTOMETRIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri January 1982 63141, U.S.A.) Number 1 : " ~ "i982 Election returns: The 35 ballots received included no write-ins, g1v1ng a unanimous vote for Jerome ("Jerry 11 ) Abrams, O.D., to serve a five year term on the Executive Board to succeed Grace Weiner. The ever gracious Mrs. Weiner had asked not to be renominated, for reasons of inability to serve as she was wont to do in earlier years. The Board immediately re-elected the 1981 officers for 1982. The 1982 members of the Executive Board, with expiration years and addresses, are as fo 11 ows : President: James P. Leeds, O.D., (1982), 2470 East 116th Street, Carmel, Indiana 46032, U.S.A. Vice-President: James c. Tumblin, O.D. (1983), 5319 Broadway N.E., Box 5147, Knoxville, Tennessee 37918, U.S.A. Secretary-Treasurer: Maria Dablemont, (1985), 243 North Lindbergh Boulevard, Saint Louis, Missouri 63141, U.S.A. Executive Board Member: Henry A. Knoll, Ph.D., (1984), Bausch & Lomb, Inc.'· 1400 North Goodman Street, Rochester, New York 14602, U.S.A. Executive Board Member:· Jerome J. Abrams, O.D., (1986), 4516 West \~as hi ngton Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46241, u.s.A. co~editor on leave: Co-editor Doug Penisten informs us that he is enroute from South Africa to London, Vienna, Athens, and Cairo during the southern hemisphere summer months, to return to his teaching duties in April, 1982, as Senior Lecturer in Optometry at the University of the North, in Pietersburg. He apologizes for being unable to contribute to this issue, which is ·of course quite understandable. His address is D.K. Penisten, O.D., P.O. Box 3234, Pietersburg 0700, Republic of South Africa, where his mail will await his return. An editor•s dilemma: In the previous three issues of this newsletter I included items which I judged to have significant historical interest but which were interpreted by at least two readers as the casting of aspersions on certain now deceased individuals whom many of us hold in esteem. -2- Because the contents of the newsletter to date have included virtually everything received and confirmed as accurate and fully documented, it might be more precise to say that the aforementioned i terns were in fact 11 not ex­ cluded .. rather than simply 11 incl uded". However I may try to represent the circumstances , the judgements in these instances were mine and mine alone. Even after receiving the ob­ jections I find mYSelf believing that my decisions were reasonably de­ fensible in terms of the history-oriented purposes of the newsletter and the available facts. Nevertheless I can agree that by means of tastefully worded disclaimers I could have allayed the unfortunate interpretations that the items were expressing mY own views or those of the Society. Disclaimers, too, however carefully worded, themselves usually suggest controversy, disbelief, or doubt. Indeed, when applied to selected items, they may even imply the editor's own bias, which he really may hope to sup­ press. A popular escape from apparent guilt, of course, is for the editor to use editorial referees. This, I contend, lends itself just as easily to abuse while rendering the offended person quite helpless to fix the blame. My preferred alternative is to accept the responsibility myself, seeking prior advice whenever I predict a possible misinterpretation, and to keep the newsletter open for publishable comments and criticisms from the readers. Needless to say, when I do this badly I am sorry. I fear this may have been such an instance. December 1981 reminisce-in: Thirty one or more persons assembled at the inconvenient hour of 5:30 p.m., (or was it 6:00p.m., or later?) at the Sheraton Twin Towers Hotel at the outskirts of Orlando, Florida to chat about optometric history under the friendly chairing of OHS President Jim Leeds. Secretary-Treasurer re­ ported the following finances: Money market certificate------------$1,000.00 Interest earne·d to date---------- 115.47 Savings account--------------------- 883.12 Checking account-------------------- 276.48 PettY cash-------------------------- 3.39 $2,278.46 Following a brief discussion of the suggested use of video tapes as a -historical recording technique, a report by Henry Hofstetter on the circum­ stances and establishment of the new School of Optometry in Puerto Rico, and the announcement of the adoption of a recognition certificate to be awarded by the Executive Board to individuals 11Whose dedication to the scholarly research, examination, interpretation, and disclosure of optometry's heritage has added signfficantly to the advancement of knowledge of its past and therefore adds to the wisdom which can mold the profession • s future 11 , Preisdent Leeds read the following paper in review of the early Transactions of the American AcademY of Optometry: I 1 -3- I started to write a review of the 13 books printed by the Academy of the Fourth thru the Eighteenth Annual Meetings en­ titl~d, Report of the Transactions of the Annual Meeting of the ~en can Academy of Optometry. The first was pub 1 i shed (probably) 1n 1927 and the last in 1940. I am not sure why publication was halted. It could have been wartime or the fact that most of the papers were printed in the Journal anyway, or other reasons. I hope that some of those present will be able to enlighten us on these and other points as I proceed. I soon realized that these books contained a wealth of knowl­ edge about the early days of the Academy; and since this group is a historical body, it is far more important to put the historical factors over the academic report of who gave what paper when, although some of these papers are of great interest. On a sepa­ rate sheet I have listed the number of Fellows of the Academy, how many attended the meetings and where and when they were held. When we observe the size of the present day meetings, we must pay . tribute to the foresight and tenacity of our founding fathers. At the time of the Fourth Annual Meeting in Buffalo in December 1925, the secretary, Carel C. Koch, Minneapolis, whom many of us here knew and whose memory is held in reverence, gave a report of the years 1922 to 1925. The following is taken from his report: 1. Two organizational meetings were held. The first was in St. Louis, January 11, 1922, almost exactly 60 years ago, in­ stigated by Dr. M. Steinfeld, Paducah, Ky., with seven others. All were mid-western optometrists who were dissatisfied with the commercial state of the profession. The second was on June 29, 1922, in Indianapolis with five of the original attendees, plus three more, including Dr. Koch. Plans for a permanent organization were made. Dr. Steinfeld was elected Chairman and Dr. Koch as Secretary. A committee was formed to draw up a Constitution and By-Laws. Thirteen men were made members with a $5.00 assess­ ment. 2. The third meeting of the year, the first actual Academy meeting, was in St. Louis, December 9-13, 1922. Ten were present. Several papers were read and the first Round Table Dinner was held. Twenty-nine were taken into Fellowship, a total of 39 in all. Yearly dues were $15.00 and fellowship fee $50.00. The Constitution and By-Laws were ratified. 3. The second Academy meeting was held in Rochester in December 10-ll, 1923. Only five attended and no papers were read due to the small attendance, although some papers had been prepared. Dr. E. Wiseman of Buffalo presented his Code of Ethics with the following provisions: a. All Academy members must practice in a professional way. This means: x. Must practice in an office, not a store. y. No advertising. z. Must charge an examination fee of at least $3.00. -4- b. All Academy members must in some way be identified with some form of optometric research. This was passed and all present Academy members were put on a probation for three years relative to display advertising, during which time they could make any necessary changes, and five years relative to changing from store to office. Three more men were elected to fellowship. 4. The third annual meeting was held in Kansas City June 1924 in conjunction with the AOA meeting. Thirteen were present. One paper was presented on "Industria 1 Eye Work". Two more were e 1 ected to fe 1- lowship, but three died and three resigned. 5. A December 1924 meeting in Columbus, Ohio, was cancelled due to poor attendance and postponed to December 1925 in Buffalo. Also at the same meeting in Buffalo several papers were read, and there was a banquet. The Chairman, Dr. Wiseman (surely a fortuitous name), gave an address which included some interesting rules, which I have had copied to be handed out. The succeeding meetings had pretty much the same format-- papers, reports, luncheons and dinners. I noted a few things of particular interest. In Vol. III for the 7th Annual Meeting, reports of "Dis­ cussions" following papers were introduced, some of which were moder­ ately heated, as well as some bibHographies. In this Vol. III, a truly historical paper on "Zones of Ocular Comfort" by Charles Sheard was included. An equally important paper by E.F. Tait on "A Quantita­ tive System of Dynamic Skiametry" was given. On the other hand,.quite a few of the papers were rather rudimentary, and some, such as "Iridology" were quite suspect. The first paper on "Telescopic Spectacles" by William Feinbloom was given in 1929. Also at this meeting recorrmenda­ tion for Local Academies (Chapters) was made by the Chairman, Carel C. Koch. By 1930 there were 7 chapters. Also in 1930 a Research Fellow­ ship was established at Columbia University for $2,000.00. ($3,500.00 was projected but could not be collected.) Dr. William Feinbloom was the recipient and did his work on "Strabismus". He presented a paper on "Contact Lenses" at this meeting. At the 1931 meeting in Philadelphia he gave a report on his research in strabismus. In 1935 the meeting was changed from December to the last week in August, so Vol. IX included both the 1934 meeting in Cleveland and the August 1935 New York meeting. Thts volume, incidentally, had pictures of two banquets, so I brought it along. An interesting comparison can be made to the size of the present day meetings and banquets. Also, those who have never seen the Transactions can look at this volume. In 1937 the meetings were changed to June, to run 3 days before the AOA Convention. In 1938 the first two physicians to present papers were on the program-- Drs. Otis Wolfe of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Dr. Marvin Blaess of Detroit. Both spoke on cataracts. I looked thru the 1939 roster to see whose names I recognized as present day members, hoping that some of these might be sitting with us here today and filling in the vacant -5- spots in this necessarily sketchy presentation. Those names are: Robert Bannon, R.C. Baxter, Harold Fisher, H. Ward Ewalt, William Feinbloom, Glenn Fry, D.G. Hummel, and Richard M. Hall. I could not determine the criteria for AcademY Fellowship, other than practicing in a professional environment. In 1939 the Chairman, Dr. Ron R. Paine, Topeka, Kansas, proposed that effective June 1, 1940: 1.. A Board of Regents be established, composed of one Fellow from each state to maintain communication with other Fellows in that state, contact all applicants, and act as a committee of one in enforcement of standards. 2. As part of the entrance requirements, a Board of Examiners, composed of optometrists, before whom all applicants must prove their competency as optometric practitioners. This examination would take place on the day prior to the annual meeting. 3. All members would have the privilege to pass an achieve­ ment test before the Academy Board of Examiners, but their con­ tinuing Fellowship would not be contingent on this. I can only presume that present day qualifications for Fellow­ ship descended from the above decree. Finally, a word on the Volumes themselves. Vol. I concerned the Fourth and Fifth Annual Meetings. It was well printed and in a good binding. There were 100 copies of Vo 1. II printed in a poor binding. This is the rare one and the hardest to come by. While there ·is no great momentary value to it, I felt very fortunate to get one. All the other Volumes look the same and have a good binding. From 125 to 200 copies of each were printed, and each Fellow apparently received a copy. In a number of the volumes, mention was made that some copies of preceding volumes were still available, with the implied plea that they were occupying too much space and gathering dust. I do recall that in the 1950 1 s when I was just starting my book collection I bought the available ones from Dr. Koch and got about half of them. There is a real sense of living in the past reading these Transactions, and I hope you have enjoyed reliving these years briefly with me. The following is an incomplete tabulation of meeting statistics: Meeting .Q!!! Location Organizational 1/11/22 St. Loufs I II III -IV . V VI VII i - VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII • ·6/29/22 Indianapolis 12/22 St. Louis 12/23 Rochester 6/24 Kansas Ci~ 12/25 Buffalo 12/26 Washington 12/27 New York 12/28 Chicago 12/29 Boston 12/30 Onaha 12/31 Philadelphia 12/32 Chicago 12/33 Baltimore 12/34 Cleveland 8/35 New York 8/36 Chicago 6/37 Rochester 6/38 Richmond 6/39 Los Angeles -6- I Present I Fellows Chairman 8 8 10 6 13 ? ? ? 25 41 30 33 31 35 27 40 43 60 38 42 13 40 43 45 39 34 (?) 57 (?) 74 108 134 122 118 125 131 (?) 116 143 157 160 176 M. Steinfeld, Paducah • • E. G. Wiseman, Buffalo • • • • Carel c. Koch, Mi nneapo 11 s Briggs s. Palmer, Boston Walter I. Brown, New Bedford • o. J. Melvin, Olaha • Robert N. Walker, Vi nston-Sa 1 em • Richard N. Hall, Cleveland • Don Rodney Paine, Topeka • Secretary Carel c. Koch, Minneapolis • • • • Charles E. Cox, Rochester • J~ Fred Andreae, Ba 1t f 1:10re • • • • • • • • • • • Dr. Wiseman's written & unwritten rules & policies to govern Academy procedure. (1925) 1. The three basic requirements for membership in the AcademY are, (a) the candidate must practice in an office, (b) he must charge an examination fee of $3.00 or more, (c) he must not carry on what is known as display newspaper advertising, nor any of the less commend­ able forms, such as blotters, bill boards, handbills, etc. 2. Memberships in the AcademY is by invitation only. 3. Each candidate must have demonstrated satisfactorily to the Execu­ tive Council that he is sincerely desirous of raising optometric prac­ tice to the professional level and is thoroughly conversant with modern scientific procedure. -7- 4. It is not permitted on the floor of the meeting to discuss subjects other than those relating to the scientific side of our work except during the period reserved for Academy business. 5. All discussions should be characterized by forebearance and modesty, as by those seeking truth and not as by those determined to impose their beliefs upon others without offering satisfactory evidence of the inherent merits of those beliefs. 6. No campaigning for office of any kind is permitted. Hope springs eternal: It is tempting to believe that weird concepts promoted in the ob­ livion of scientific evidence were more or less typical of only the past. Perhaps they are comparably prevalent today but somewhat less noticed because, like the chimes of the living room clock, or the con­ spicuity of once prurient illustrations, their currently familiar tones or formats do not penetrate ordinary consciousness. So it may be the ·striking assertions in a 15 x 11 em advertisement in the December 8 issue of the Indianapolis Star that prompted new O.H.S. Executive Board Member Jerry Abrams to send me a clipping of it with the comment "Sounds like the old 'Bates method' has come back to us in 1981". To quote parts of the advertisement, in varied bold types, we read, 11 DO YOU WEAR EYEGLASSES OR CONTACT LENSES? YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO! Your unlimited mind has the power and ability to improve your eyesight •••• Self-correction techniques include states of profound relaxation, guided imagery, insight exercises, Hatha Yoga eye exercises, and applied auto­ suggestion at alpha ... A two day "Vision Workshop" is offered with a tuition fee of $85. Thanks again, Dr. Staiman: In the November 1981 issue of the Review of Optometr) (also identified in some library catalogs as Chilton's Review of Optometry appeared a let­ ter to the editor from Jacob Staiman, O.D., of Baltimore, Maryland, sug­ gesting "that anyone who possesses early optical artifacts, books or memo­ rabilia pertaining to the history and progress of optometry should con­ tribute them to the Society ... Dr. Staiman is perhaps the most frequent donor of the moment to the International Library, Archives, and Museum of Optometry, Inc., ILAMO, of which our Secretary-Treasurer is Librarian and Curator. As of November 9, for example, the ILAMO received from him nine antique eyeglass cases, 2 pair of folding bifocal pince-nez, and a lorgnette. Incidentally, the Optometric Historical Society itself does not main­ tain a museum or a collection, as Dr. Staiman's letter implies, but, as stated in its Articles of Incorporation, one of its purposes is .. to en­ courage the collection and preservation of materials relating to the history of optometry ... As one of the highly recommended repositories -8- ILAMO has been given most of the historical items received by the Society. Other donations of historical significance have been transferred to other museums and libraries. Even well tended privately owned collections are not excluded from consideration. The Society of course has other purposes to fulfill which are possible only with increased funding. Therefore all gifts of money, shares, and sale­ able and income-producing property are received directly as additions to its financial assets •. Oldest Indiana practice featured: A full page of the Saturday, April 11, 1981, issue of the Hartford City, Indiana, News-Times under the section title "Lifestyle" by Bert Monfort was devoted to p1ctures and commentary on the optometric practice of Drs. R. Lewis Scott and Richard l. Windsor at 220 West Main Street. The occasion was the remodeling and redecorating of their offices around the historical theme based on this being the "oldest continuous practice in Indiana". Records indicate that the Scott-Windsor practice was founded in 1895 by Dr. Thomas Bell, who practiced in the same location until his death in 1936. He held Indiana license number 20. He was succeeded in the same location by Dr. William H. Hamilton, who died in 1958. Dr. Scott associ­ ated with Dr. Hamilton in 1957, and Dr. Windsor associated with Dr. Scott in 1973. Featured in the office are an oil of an "eye doctor" examining Presi­ dent Lincoln, a stained glass window with Apollo in the center, and dis­ plays of photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and other docu­ ments depicting the history of the practice, early optometry, and early developments in visual science. Relatively unheralded research history: OHS Vice-President Jim Tumblin, also Director of Research of the Optometric Extension Program Foundation, Inc., (OEPF), recently provided us with a list of the recipients of funds under the OEPF Research Grants Program since the OEPF moved to a more formal grant application pro­ cedure in 1975; as follows: RESEARCHER/INSTITUTION: 1975-76 Cycle Robert Kaplan, O.D. University of Houston Phillip Kruger, O.D., M.S. State University of New York RESEARCH PROJECT: An Evaluation of Left and Right Eye Latency Differences in the Visual Evoked Response ( VER) for Children Reading Below Grade Level The Effects of Problem Solving on the Luminance of the Fundus Reflex John W. Streff, O.D. Southern College of Optometry J. Floyd Williams, O.D. University of Houston 1976-77 Cycle Dennis A. Bader, O.D., M.S. University of Waterloo William V. Padula, O.D. -9- Gesell Institute of Child Development Harold L. Poynter, O.D. Pacific University Robert L. Yolton, O.D., Ph.D. Pacific University 1977-78 Cycle Gordon W. McKee, O.D. University of Houston John Griffin, O.D., M.S. Lorraine Voorhees,-O.D. Southern California College of Optometry Ivan D. Hyde, Dip. Optom. Pacific University Phillip B. Kruger, O.D., M.S. State University of New York Caren Lynn Weisz, O.D., M.S. Illinois College of Optometry 19 79-80 Cyc l.e Phillip Kruger, M.S., O.D. State University of New York Robert L. Yolton, O.D., Ph.D. Pacific University . Kenneth E. Brookman, 0.0., M.S. Indiana University Fixation and Saccadic Character­ istics of Binocular Amblyopia Clinical Vision Development Pro­ files of Disabled Learners The Assessment of the Effects of Corrective Lenses on Mentally Retarded Persons Near Point Acuity Standardization in Chi 1 dren (Age 3-5) Visual Motor and Cognitive Aspects of Reading Disability Application of Biofeedback Procedures to Vision Training Visual Characteristics of Learning Disabled vs. Normally Achieving Young Children An Evaluation of the Van Orden Star Test Modification of Fixation Disparity by Instrumental Conditioning with Visual Feedback Changes in Accommodation During Cognitive Processing Lens Prescriptions: Clinical In­ dicators of the Resting State of Accommodation The Effect of Task Demand on the Resting State of Accommodation Phase 2-Clinical Application of Biofeedback Enhanced Vision Therapy Phase 3-Sensory Training Using VER Biofeedback Accommodation in the Human Infant Louis G. Hoffman, O.D., M.S. Southern California College of Optometry 1980-81 Cycle Martin H. Birnbaum, O.D. State University of New York K.J. Ciuffreda, O.D., Ph.D. C. Neary, B.Sc., F.B.O.A. Stanley G. Goldrich, O.D., Ph.D. Phillip B. Kruger, O.D., M.S. State University of New York -10- The Effect of Accommodative Deficien­ cies on the Developmental Level of Perceptual Skills Relationships Between Oculomotor Pos­ ture and Cognitive/Perceptual Style Experiments in Nystagmus: Fixation and Reading Accommodation in the Developing Eye During 1981-83 a two year moratorium on outside research funding is in effect to permit financial support of the newly established "Skeffington­ Alexander National Optometry-Education Learning Center" in Lancaster, Ohio, now in its second year of a longitudinal study on vision and learning. The above-mentioned "more formal grant application procedure" included the broadside invitation to qualified researchers to submit requests based on their own research interests, and the use of an advisory panel of re­ search consultants to judge the applications. Actually, OEPF support of research dates back to the 1940's, as reported in the June 1978 issue of the Journal of the American Optometric Association, Vol. 49, No. 6. Says Dr. Tumblin, "I think it is true to say that since 1975, the OEPF and the Auxiliary [to the American Optometric Association] have been respon­ sible for over 75% of optometric funding of research." Spectacle atlases available through Dr. York: Alan York, O.D., 1 Main Street, East Hampton, New York 11937, reports that he has been appointed sales agent for Richard Corson: "Fashions in Eye Glasses, from the 14th Century to the Present Day", Second updated edition, $60.00, and W. Poulet: "Atlas on the History of Spectacles" (translated from the original German by F.C. Blodi), published by J.P. Wayenborgh, Bad Godesberg, West Germany, in three volumes (English) at $140, $135, and $140, respectively. The first two volumes are reviewed in glowing detail in the January 18, 1980, issue of THE OPTICIAN, Vol. 179, No. 3, page 36. The reviewer, initials LSS, reports that Volume I has over two thousand pictures which include every conceivable kind of eyewear from 1350 onwards, -and that every single item is indexed, described, and dated. Volume II is entitled, "Art and Spectacles through Five Centuries", and its illustrations include paintings, drawings, woodcuts, engravings, sketches, lithographs, medical pictures, and fashion plates, all indexed and dated. 11The superb quality of the reproduction ••• make it something anyone could treasure." The three volumes are also available in German and French editions. -11- !l twist of the Odyssey: The cartoon below was spotted by Professor Jerome Harste of the Indiana University School of Education and promptly displayed to his optometry students in a Reading course. It appeared on page 191 of the November 1981 issue of the Journal of Reading, Vol. 25, no. 2, a publi­ cation of the International Reading Association. About Francis West: The comment by numismatist George Berry, on page 83 of the October issue, that he was unable to glean any information about Mr. F. West, whose name appeared on a rare London farthing, prompted our OHS President Jim Leeds to check his early books collection. Indeed, he found a 54 page 142 x 91 mm booklet printed in 1829 entitled TO ALL WHO VALUE THEIR SIGHT, A FAMILIAR TREATISE ON THE HUMAN EYE CONTAINING PRACTICAL RULES THAT WILL ENABLE ALL TO JUDGE HHAT SPECTACLES ARE BEST CALCULATED TO PRESERVE THEIR EYES TO EXTREME OLD AGE, by Francis West, successor to Mr. Adams, optician to his majesty, 83, Fleet Street, Third Edition, Price Sixpence. An infold illustrates quite correctly in vertical cross-section the optics of the emmetropic, hyperopic, and myopic eye. The nontechnical descriptions and the advice to those who can benefit from glasses are as -12- correct as the contemporary scientific knowledge would permit. The book­ let also includes 11A Catalogue of Optical, Mathematical, and Philosophical Instruments .. made and sold by Francis West, some 200 items, with prices. More on .!:!.· Riley Spitler: Dr. Pheiffer•s letter concerning Spitler in the October issue prompted OHS Prexy Jim Leeds to add the following: 11He was an Academy member from 1926 to at least 1929. At the 1930 meeting he gave a paper, •optical Con- trol of the Central Gray•. The same title was presented in 1932 as a •con­ tinuation• of the 1930 paper. In 1934 his papers were, 'Some Physiological Effects of Radiant Energy Stimulation in the Visible Light Band' and •some Circulatory Changes Caused by Ocular Fixation of Selected Light Frequencies in the Visible Range'. In 1936 it was 'Syntonic Case History, Methods and App 1 i cations. • .. First U.S. postal item to include braille: Headlined in the July 27, 1981, issue of Linn's Stamp News, Vol. 5, No. 2751, was the announcement that 11The u.s. Postal Service w1ll issue its first braille postage item with the release of an embossed, stamped envelope Aug. 31 in honor of Blinded Veterans 11 in conjunction with the annual convention of the Blinded Veterans Association at Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia. About early refractors: Responding to our October commentary entitled 11A gallery of phor.­ opters?11, Alan York, O.D., wrote, 11 I've got seven (7) old refractors in my collection, including Woolf, Genophthalmic, several De Zeng models, etc. I could have had more but had no place to store more. I'd be grateful to know the name of anyone willing to pay $3,000 each for them, as I have been picking them up for as much as $35 each! 11 He added, 11 I wish I could find the technical REPAIR Manuals for them! The De Zengs, in their various models, seem to be more common than the rest, in my limited experience11 • D.G. Hummel comments about Alpheus Smith: Dan Hummel adds a sidelight to the Alpheus Smith account by telling us of an incident while he was on the Executive Council of the American Academy of Optometry, as follows: 11The question was asked in the Executive Council of the AAO, • How can we obtain better university recognition for our optometry schools?'. 11 My suggestion was that since the Academy was to meet in Columbus [Ohio] that it would be valuable to honor Dr. Smith. And, he deserved it. 11 This was a forerunner of yearly honors for selected speakers. It has been a pride to me that a simple request has developed into inter­ national recognition by the quality of those we honor". -13- ~new BVI historical poster: OHS member Larry Aasen of the Better Vision Institute, Inc., 230 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10169 has written a personal note to me in a mailing tube with the enclosure of a colorful new BVI poster entitled 11 The Hi story of Eyeglasses. 11 41 x 61 em in size, it illustrates 17 styles of eyewear dating back to the 13th century, with accompanying legend and background illustrations of several historical personalities whose eyeglasses were part of their public image. The last BVI poster, called 11 Eye Glasses of Old 11 , was first printed in 1937. Says Larry, 11 It had been ordered from all over the world during its 44 years of availability, and was considered by some to be a col­ lector's item 11 • The price of the new one is $5.00, postpaid. I am also informed by O.H.S. member Alan York that the new poster features notable examples of antique eyewear from his private collection. More optometrists memoralized: Memorializing Drs. A.M. Skeffington and E.B. Alexander is the title of the Skeffington-Alexander National Optometry Education Learning Center (abbreviated s.-a. NOEL) in Lancaster, Ohio. The G.N. Getman Award, is an annual award since 1971 sponsored by the College-of Optometrists in Vision Development (abbreviated COVD). A second legacy consigned: It was more than a couple years ago that the O.H.S. Executive Com­ mittee enthusiastically instituted the provision whereby anyone can attain free life membership in the Society by merely amending his/her will to provide a bequest for a thousand dollars or more. To date, however, only two have taken advantage of this opportunity to assure the O.H.S. of eventually greater support than many of us can afford to give while vivendi. It merely reduces the windfall for one's heirs! The attorney of the second of the two who now have included O.H.S. in their wills notified the Secretary in September. May this prompt other members to do likewise. A postscript from Dr. Israel Dvorine: Added to Dr. Dvorine's ballot: Harold Kohn you might be interested a portrait of Harold and sent it to Library. 11 11 Since you mentioned the name of to know that I recently sculptured the Harold Kohn Vision Science -14- .!!l ~~~to Paris: An inviting letter from O.H.S. member Pierre Marly, opticien, informs us that his outstanding and celebrated museum of ~Lunettes et Lorgnettes de Jadis, .. a collection of several thousand items, has been moved into larger quarters at the following address: 2 avenue Mozart, Paris 16 erne, France (telephone 527-21-05). In 1975 I had the opportunity of seeing his collection briefly, at which time he had well over 1,000 pieces displayed in an elegantly ar­ ranged 3 x 6 m basement room. They included centuries old lorgnettes, spy glasses, hand fans and walking sticks with lenses, Eskimaux goggles, and a 7 m long shelf of books, among them Daza de Valdes, J.G.A. Chevalier, Che:ubin D'Orleans, and Thomin: Instruction sur l'usage des Lunettes, P a r1 s , 17 46. Lighting design awards history: Prior to 1952 a few of the 57 Sections of the Illuminating Engineering Society of America, the I.E.S., held annual contests for 11 My Most Interesting Lighting Job... In 1952 the competition became a national lighting applica­ tion contest of considerable stature at the Lighting Service Forum program of the I.E.S. Annual Conference with prizes of $100, $50, and $25. In 1956 a trophy was added by the late Past-President Charles Goddard, and in 1965 Fred and Edwin Guth, Jr., set up a $100,000 endowment fund in memory of their father, Edwin F. Guth, to provide additional awards in the industrial/ commercial class. In 1966 the I.E.S. awards program was restructured as the Applied Lighting Competition (ALC). Further revisions were made during 1971 and 1973, leading to the establishment of a very formalized Lighting Development Awards (LOA) Program, which is in full operation at present with occasional procedural changes introduced in more recent years. The history of this program is detailed in 11 Looking back -- origins of the LOA Program .. in the October, 1981, issue of Lifhting Design! Application, Vol. 11, No. 10, pp. 54 and 56, an issue devoted a most entirely to the 1981 awards. Registration initiated in India: The following is excerpted from an editorial in Optometry Today, Vol. 9, no. 2, 1981, pages 8-9: A milestone has been laid in the history of optometric profes­ sion in India. On Oct. 1, 1980, the Optometric Register of India was established to work towards enlisting the names of optometrists/ orthoptists having a qualification from an accredited optometric in­ stitution in India or abroad. Optometry as a profession was introduced in India in the year 1958 with the establishment of the first School of Optometry at Gandhi Eye Hospital, Aligarh, under the joint auspices of the Govern­ ment of India and U.P. State Govt., and with U.P. State Medical -15- Faculty as the examining body for the two-year Diploma in Re­ fraction and Optometry (D.R. Opt.) qualification. Subsequent schools were opened at Sitapur, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Madras, Trivandrum, New Delhi, Bombay, and Indore. The professional organisation Indian Optometric Association came into being in the year 1961. Hectic efforts were made since then for the establishment of a council for the registration of optometrists. The move to establish the Optometric Register of India is a credit to the present advisory-board members of this new body, namely: Naval P. Baliwalla H.O. Rastogi K.K. Bhatt, and N. Kumar. One can confidently say that awareness of the present day re­ quirement has prevailed--to the long term good of the profession. Included with the above-mentioned publication is an inserted announce­ ment of the plan which includes the address of the OR! and the price of the application form (Rs. 6/-) and of the registration fee (Rs. 60/-). Another view of Japanese optometric history: The historical accounts of ophthalmic developments in Japan in the April and July, 1981, issues of this newsletter prompted .Mr. Fumio Morie, President of the Japan Optometric Association, to send us a copy of the paper which he read at the International Forum of the American Optometric Association in June. The title of his paper is 11 History and Present Status of Optometry in Japan, 11 and he understandably interprets the historical events at some variance with the translator of the previously reprinted extracts. The following are the paragraphs from Mr. Marie's paper which deal with historical developments: At first I want to speak about the short history of optometry in Japan. The history of opticians in Japan started about a century ago, but the word 'OPTOMETRY' was first introduced in Japan at the time Dr. Daniel Desmond came from America in 1926 and opened a one month course in optometry in Osaka, Japan. Therefore it was fifty five years ago. Since then some Japanese opticians have shown their interest in optometry. About that time ~1r. Morizo Ogawa, an American Doctor of op­ tometry, was taken back from America to Japan by Mr. Shinpei Goto, the then Minister of Home Affairs, and opened an optometric clinic in Tokyo. But Dr. Suda, an ophthalmologist, on behalf of all the members of the Japan Ophthalmology Association started to oppose and interfere with the practice of Dr. Ogawa and the association insisted that Dr. Ogawa close his clinic, claiming that there was no optometric system in Japan. Therefore Dr. Ogawa could -16- only continue his practice by operating his clinic with an ophthal­ mologist. Dr. Ogawa, by way of vision care, served many people in various fields, such as the political, financial and cultural worlds, until five years ago when he passed away. Also Mr. Kenichi Asami, who studied optometry in Jena, Germany opened a clinic in Ginza, Tokyo and had the same experience as Dr. Ogawa had, being opposed and disturbed by the ophthalmology association, and he reluctantly closed his clinic in Tokyo and moved to Chica where he was also disturbed by the Japan Ophthalmology Association and passed away being discouraged, as he was honest and fainthearted. I observed these matters personally. Since those days the Japan Ophthalmology Association began plainly to oppose and disturb optometry. Thus the history of the oppression of optometry in Japan began. Thereafter establishment of a school in Tokyo was planned but it was not realized until thirteen years ago when the Tokyo Optical School was opened by a group with Mr. Shiroyama as the central figure. The school has a two-year-course whose curriculum and study hours are not sufficient to fulfill the requirements needed to study optometry. In 1960 when I visited Dr. Haffner in New York he was obliged to close the Division of Optometry at the Columbia University by the political pressure of the then Ophthalmology Association in New York, and was educating students by establishing the New York Center of Optometry, transferring books and optical instruments from the school at Columbia. He warned me that if I was intending to develop optometric education and planning to establish an optometric system in Japan I should never look for agreement and cooperation from the ophthalmology association because it would be a waste of mY time and energy as the ophthalmology association would strongly oppose and disturb mY efforts. I am constantly reminded of his warning as it has became a matter-of-fact situation for the Japan Ophthalmology Association to continue to disturb my school in various ways. When I attended the 1961 AOA congress in Denver, I was surrounded , by many leading doctors and was asked by them about the status of optometry in Japan. When I was asked how many optometric schools there were in Japan at that time I replied 'NOTHING'. Then the doctors told me that it was inexcusable and utterly irresponsible that there was no school for such an important profession. I was scolded and strongly suggested to make a four-year-school immediately. Observing with my own eyes the status of the activities of the AOA I decided to make a four-year-school in Japan. That was twenty one years ago. I continued to make every effort having various dif­ ficulties, the biggest one being the opposition from the ophthalmology association, but finally succeeded to establish a school in 1978. Now we have two hundred thirteen students in the first, second, third and fourth years of study, the first graduates are expected to number sixty-two next year, in 1982. -17- Since before four years ago when I established a school I have been publishing through nationwide newspapers in the form of interviews with socially notable and leading people in order to introduce the profession of optometry. The Japan Ophthalmology Association made three claims to the Japan Advertising Review Organization (JARO) that the organization should not allow us to have a word 'OPTOMETRIST' published in newspapers as there was no system of optometry in Japan and also the association claimed to the organization that the 'EYE EXAMINATION' was only performed by ophthalmologists and therefore we would not be allowed to use this word. However, the ophthalmology association did not let me have even a single word to say about this situation. The JARO, which has a fair and knowledgeable understanding of the society gave us their final decision on December 5, 1980 as follows: "The matter in which you (Dr. Fumio Marie) are training optometrists in Japan by establishing a school and devoting your efforts to developing the acts of optometry of Japan is very appropriate." Vision Library to the World: This is the title of a three page i 11 us trated article by Linda J. Draper in the September 1981 issue of Show-~4e Libraries, Vol. 32, No. 9, pp. 25-27, concerning ILAMO, the Internat1onal Library, Archives & Museum of Optometry, for which Linda is Head of Technical Services. Among its illustrations is a photograph of the five-member staff and of the building in which it is housed. ILAMO dates its origin back to 1902. For the benefit of readers unfamiliar with American nick-naming ways let me explain that the term "show me" pertains to the state of Missouri, reflecting the.allegedly skeptical nature of its denizens. Correlatively, to say, "I'm from Missouri!" is effectively to ask for proof of validity. Optometry in the military: H.E. "Tony" Mahlman, Executive Director of the Armed Forces Optometric Society, has prepared a brief information sheet entitled OPTOMETRY IN THE MILITARY which consists largely of several paragraphs relating the history of military optometry in the U.S. very succinctly as follows: Prior to World War II, ophthalmologists rendered all eye care in the military with unofficial assistance by optometrists. During most of World War II optometrists that served in that capacity in the Army were in the enlisted status. Many optometrists vol­ unteered for flight training and Officer Candidate School and be­ came commissioned officers but did not practice their profession while in the service. Shortly after the outbreak of ~Jorld War II the Navy started com­ missioning optometry officers in its Hospital Specialist Corps and by the end of the war there were some 120 on active duty. -18- In 1947, the Senate and House of Representatives passed legislation to establish an Optometry ~orps in the Army and Navy, however Presi­ dent Truman vetoed the measure. He proposed instead that Optometry Sections be established in both the Army and Navy, which insured of­ ficer status for optometrists. The Air Force was formed by Presi­ dential decree and the regulations and policies of the Army were carried over into this new Air Force. At the end of the war, each of the services formed its own Medical Service Corps with Optometry Sections. Later the Air Force changed the corps name in which optometrists served to the Biomedical Sciences Corps. The number of optometrists required by all of the services expanded rapidly with the onset of the Korean War in 1950, stayed high during the "Cold War" and increased again during the Indo-China conflict. Currently there are approximately 500 on active duty world-wide. Although optometry does not have its own Corps, each of the services have Optometry Sections with a chief who is a senior grade optometry officer. He is directly in charge of his optometry officers and an­ swers only to his Corps chief and the Surgeon General of his service. The St. Frideswide legend: An article entitled OXFORD'S BIG FIELD in the October 1981 issue of the TWA Ambassador, Vol. 14, No. 10, by Miggs Pomeroy describes Port Meadow, 11 nothing more than 440 acres of flat common land", as the oldest monument in the city of Oxford, and conjures up images of the area's wide variety of occupancies and utilizations since the Stone­ Age. The final two paragraphs, page 34, cite an example of vision recovery, perhaps the earliest such allegation on record outside of biblical history, as follows: Farther downstream, but still bordering the Meadow, is the little village of Binsey. There is a farm, a few cottages over­ looking the green, another excellent pub called the Perch, and a tiny twelfth-century church on the site of a chapel said to have been built by Frideswide, the patron saint of Oxford. She was a Saxon princess who lived between 680 and 735. When her suitor Algar was too bold and importunate he was struck blind, but his sight was restored by her prayers and the water of the holy well in the churchyard. St. Frideswide's tomb is now in Oxford cathe­ dral, but over the centuries thousands of pilgrims who visited it also went to the well at Binsey where, according to the leaf- 1 et in the church, prayers are answered and cures effected. Whether the water from the well cures eyes, or whether, as an old woman told me, this is really the Treacle Well that Alice heard about at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, I don't know. It is all part of the magic emanating from Port Meadow for those who wish to find it. -19- The 11 B 1 i nd Pri nter 11 : 11 Sketch of the Life and Times of John R. Kerr, the Blind Printer11 by Judge David D. Banta appeared on page 12 of the February 17, 1884, issue of the Indianapolis Daily Sentinel and was recently reprinted with copious footnotes on pages 246-267 of the September 1981 issue of the Indiana Magazine of History, Vol. 77, No. 3, following a prefatory article on pages 231-245 by Professor John V. Bergen of Western Illinois University entitled "David D. Banta's Memorial to John R. Kerr, Blind Printer and Pioneer Editor in Johnson County, Indiana ... John Kerr was born in East Tennessee in 1809. He left college at the age of 15, a respectable Greek and Latin scholar, and spent the next two or three years learning the printer's trade under Benjamin Lundy. Then for several years as something of a roving printer he spent time in various parts of Indiana and Ohio. At age 22 he married and turned School Master in his Tennessee home town. In the immediately following few years he became aware that his eyesight was failing. In 1837 he spent a few months in Cincinnati under treatment of the then celebrated Dr. Reuben D. Mussey who finally told him that blindness was his ultimate fate. Kerr then bought a print ship in Franlkin, Indiana, and undertook, in addition to his printing jobs, the intensive reading of every avail­ able book, mostly with his one remaining but also failing eye. He de­ liberately prepared himself to do without eyes. On January 4, 1844, not quite 35 years old, 11Without Pain, without an immediate warning of any kind the light went out for him, forever•i. Less than two years later he established the Franklin (Indiana) Examiner, the first newspaper ever printed in the county, with 350 subscribers at one dollar each, and continued its publication 11With commendable regularity .. for more than six years. By reason of the long continued illness of his wife he sold the Examiner in 1852 and moved to Gosport, Indiana, where he and his cousin published the Chronotype for three years, with no great success, until President Franklin Pierce appointed him local postmaster. He served in this position through Buchanan's, Lincoln's, Johnson's, and part of Grant's administrations. During the war he secured a bible in eight volumes printed in raised letters, which he read through three times before he died, in 1880. History in the Foresight Fund: The Indiana University School of Optometry, through the Indiana University Foundation, established the 11 Foresight Fund11 to receive con­ tributions of a sustaining nature. As tokens of appreciation to those who regularly contribute to this fund, soft tone copies of a woodcut from Das ist Augendienst by Georg Bartisch, Dresden Germany, 1583, from the collection of J.K. Lilly, Jr., Lilly Library, Indiana University, have been provided, very suitable for framing. It shows a scholar wearing rigid frame glasses while reading, with a second pair of flexible leather-mounted glasses lying on the table at his elbow. -20- Only 25 years ~: The following is copied verbatim from mimeographed MEDICAL DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR NO. 65 of 1956 issued by MEDICAL HEADQUARTERS, P.O. Box 30016, Nairobi, Kenya, on 30th November 1956: PROVISION OF GLASSES FOR PRESBYOPE$ (Notes by the Ophthalmic Specialist) There is now an ever increasing demand by the aged literate African population for reading glasses. In order to meet this demand, it has been decided that Medical Officers in charge of Provincial and District Hospitals will be supplied with four pairs of reading glasses of +1.0, +1.50, +2.0 and +2.50 diopters respectively for testing purposes. These glasses will be clearly marked with their power, so there will be no difficulty over iden­ tification. 2. The method of testing is simple and works well in practice. The patient is asked to hold suitable reading matter at his normal reading distance. The test glasses are then tried on starting with the 11 plus ones 11 and working up until he finds the pair which suits him. Gener­ ally speaking, patients under the age of forty should not require reading glasses whilst those who do usually have little difficulty in selecting a suitable pair. If there is some doubt, it is a wise precaution always to se 1 ect the weaker rather than the stronger pair. 3. Reading glasses for patients can be ordered from any oculist or from Messrs. V.M. Brov1se Ltd. P.O. Box 1538, Nairobi enclosing a cros­ sed pasta 1 order for Sh 25/-. It is necessary only to state 11 one pair +1.0 reading glasses 11 etc. 4. Indents for Testing Sets Medical Officers should indent forthwith for testing sets of glas­ ses from the Chief Pharmacist. 5. The set will include in addition to the four pairs of reading glas­ ses, one pair of cataract glasses (+ 10 D). These are easily recog­ nised by their thickness. They will enable post-operative cataract cases to be given a trial before purchasing their glasses (vide Medical Department Circular No. 57/56 of 1st November 1956) Optometric gossip~ 1895: [signature illegible] DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL SERVICES. The following paragraphs are excerpted from the 11 gossip 11 column of the September 1895 issue of The Optical Journal, val. 1, no. 7, p. 202: -21- Newark, N.J.: W.W. Townsend is the official eye examiner em­ ployed by the local trolley companies, to test the visions of ap­ plicants for positions. One of his tests is for color blindness. Geneva, N.Y.: Henry L. DeZeng, who is with W.L. Young has invented what he calls a 11 Refractometer, 11 which was made for him by Bausch & Lomb. His friends claim that this instrument will make both fame and fortune for the inventor. Rochester, N.Y.: Robert Bausch, who is with A.P. Erker & Bro., St. Louis, was in Rochester last month on a visit. In adding this Mr. Bausch to our subscription list we find thereon that the Bausches are almost as plentiful as the Smiths. No wonder about this, however, when you consider what the Bausches have done and are doing for the opti ca 1 indus try. Rochester, N.Y.: W.J. Hoye, with McAllaster & Hamburgh, gave expression to an effective remark regarding an optician's association. He said that while plumbers, engineers and workers in other trades must take out licenses in order to ply their callings, 11 any d fool can become an optician... - A century~: The following three paragraphs are excerpted from 11 Reminiscenses of a Shop Man 11 by Henry Want in the May 13, 1915, issue of The Optical Journal and Review of Optometry, Vol. 35, no. 20, p. 1275. Mr. Want had arrived in Chicago on March 3, 1832, to enter the employ of Otto Young & Co. under F.A. Hardy to work on general repairing. Our lenses in the early days, and some years after, were imported, mostly by the Albert Berger Co., and I contend they were the peer of any lens ever produced by anyone. They were fairly hard and as white as any pebble. In speaking of pebbles I will mention the late William Tuttie, who undertook the task of grinding pebbles 30 years ago, and made a fair success in the matter of grinding them, but not a paying proposition. My late uncle, Edwin Want, when he took over Mr. Tuttie's business, found a large quantity of rough blocks of pebbles and they were estimated to be worth 60 cents per pound to bay. My first knowledge of the saddle bridge was some time in 1882. To some to whom they were first introduced they were considered ugly when looking at them, while in one's hand but they had a different appearance when put on the face. Some time in the early 80's Dr. H.M. Martin established the Chicago Ophthalmic College, which was the means of giving quite a number of old and young a better knowledge of the ways and means of correcting defects of vision, and many have done \'/ell through the knowledge acquired in that college and the public at large -22- have been the gainer to a greater extent than is generally known. It is not now a question of leaning over a jeweler's counter with 11 does this fit you or does this fit you, .. but a thorough scientific method of testing which has brought about a class of men and intro­ duced a knowledge of opthalmology known only to a very few 25 years ago, and the end is not yet. ----- ------- ----------- Comments from Vice-President J.C. Tumblin: ---- October 1981 edition of the Newsletter, Vol. 12, #4, contains a section entitled, 11 The Ghost of Aronsfeld Appears .. {page 68ff), which discusses the so-called 11 Battle of Ri chmond 11 • The 11 Battle 11 itself has been much misunderstood and any student of the period should under­ stand it in relation to the dynamics of the era. Gregg (AOA- A History, 1972) observed, 11 In fact the whole Battle of Richmond was over a sec­ ondary point that really never dealt directly with the problem. Nothing was ever settled either- but there was certainly a lot of talk. 11 In­ terested students of optometric history will want to read Gregg's ac­ count in Chapter 11, page l55ff, for he reports the matter fairly and places it in context with its times. R.C. Augustine had served the longest term ever served by an AOA President from 1918 to 1920 and had devoted much of his time and effort to building AOA membership. He had then been retained at $10,000 plus $2500 annual expenses to travel the nation and to talk to the profession and the public as the Director of Extension, a position he held from 1922 to 1924. He was dynamic and popular but many members felt the as­ sociation simply could not afford this major expense and the subject required much debate by the delegates to each convention before it was approved. Fortunately the Association dared to retain him for it has been observed that his efforts meant the survival of the Association. By 1926, in spite of all these efforts, the AOA budget was $17,500 and the membership had reached 4,387 or 23.7% of the practicing optome­ trists and conditions worsened by 1929 with the stock market crash and the Great Depression. Harry Armstrong described the period at the 1972 11 Reminisce In 11 in St. Louis: 11 0ptometry had no patients to speak of, no dollars to speak of, and NO DIGNITY ... The depression was not over and it was only a few short years later that E.B. Alexander, Director of the Department of Organization of the AOA, reported to the 1933 convention that he had devoted eight of the past twelve months to the work, traveled 85,000 miles, and talked to 126 groups of optometrists in twenty-nine states. He was credited with increasing AOA membership from 3,404 to 7,319, its largest to that date. All of this organizational work was performed at no cost to AOA, having been financed by 11Subvention 11 funding as we call i_t __ today--individual Qptometri_?ts had subscribed to -~_?_eri_~s ... -23- of lectures and home study material in sufficient numbers to fund the program. Membership development was crucial, economic conditions were most difficult, the profession was 11 0n the ropes 11 • This method of conducting a campaign had been what is now called a 11Win/win/win 11 project: AOA had more than do~bled its membership, OEP had built a pro­ gram of 11 door step education 11 tas Norman Haffner once called it) unpar- alleled even to this date, and the optometrists who participated had been educated to serve patients• needs with techniques and instrumentation that were just emerging. Harry Armstrong observed that the entire program of membership growth and continuing education had given gras<:.·­ roots optometry a sense of dignity when it had little else in the depths of these depression years. As had been noted a decade earli2r, this too had meant 11 Survival 11 for a young profession and its national organization--the AOA. Optometry approached the 1938 annual meeting in Richmond with this as its immediate past and the delegates were even more restless over other recent events--the Social Security Act, which did not mention optometry, the acrimonious Reader•s Digest article, legis­ lative battles lost, and a few won, over the corporate practice acts, and more gathering war ~lauds over the world. Then entered Aronsfeld, a practitioner in Texas, but interestingly enough a delegate from New Mexico under unusual credentialing circumstances. Your readers have Aronsfeld 1 s 11 Let•s Consult the Record 11 com­ ments. Alexander•s many supporters rebutted them and the 11 Battle of Richmond 11 ended. Gregg says (p. 157), 11 The battle was over, with no winners and no losers •••• E.B. Alexander asked not to be ap­ pointed to the AOA Department of Organization in order to devote full time to OEP. 11 The record speaks for itself. Gregg does not mention Aronsfeld again; but we read that Sheard, Bernays, Heather and Alexander (emphasis added) met with the AOA Board in 1943 to plan for 11 overa11 discussion of optometry•s needs and formulation of program for the ensuing year 11 , and in 1946 E.B. Alexander chaired the most important 11 Commi ttee on Post-War Pl anni ng 11 • For many years he continued to be invited to the long-range planning events that required the knowledge and leadership skills typified by one of optometry•s real visionaries. As for Aronsfeld 1s comment (NOHS, Vol. 12, #4, p. 70) that A.M. Skeffington was reputed to have said, 11 ••• in the future, eyes would be treated with hypnotism and not with glasses ,11 I must state that I never heard him advocate hypnotism, although I attended his lec­ tures practically every year from my graduation in 1948 until his re­ tirement. If he had, it should have been considered in the context of other 11 State of the art 11 regimens during the 1920 1 s and 1930•s. Serious students of the period should consult these references for other regimens then in use: Ocular Physical Therapy (Electro-Therapy), 11 The Principles and Practices of Ocular Physical Therapy for Optometrists~~, JI Kurtz, American Journal of Optometry Publishers, Minneapolis, 1930. -24- Psycho-Therapy, 11 Psycho-Physiological and Philosophical Aspect of Ocular Application of Physical Therapy 11 , JI Kurtz, Trans­ actions of the American Academy of Optometry, Vol. IV. Mechano-Therapy (The Optospoon), RW Bennett, 11 Mechano-Therapy .. , Chapter XXV, in JI Kurtz, op. cit., 1930. In looking back over my thirty years in the profession and to my undergraduate/professional years when perhaps one-half the faculty still held to 11 genetic immutability .. for the vision process, I was moved to comment in an article then in preparation upon the number of concepts we now hold 11 self-evident 11 largely as a result of A.M. Skeffington's ability to synthesize them for optometry. Those interested will find the article in the Journal of the American Optometric Association, Vol. 49, #6, June 1978 ( 11 0EPF--a Research Arm for Optometry 11 ). I arn ad­ mittedly biased, Skeff was my mentor, as he was for many thousands of optometrists; but I can think of no other 11 philosophical stream .. de­ veloped and practiced by 20% or more of the profession that has had the impact on the profession or on the public's vision care than has the Skeffington Behavioral Vision Philosophy. Let the historical record speak for itself, but we must continue to be wary of cursory looks at optometric history out of context. Remember the Harlequin? Reported in the May 15, 1940, issue of The Optical Journal and Review of Optometry, Vol. 77, no. 10, p. 43: Before 1,400 of New York's business and civic leaders at a 1 uncheon in the Waldorf-As tori a Hate 1 , Apri 1 26, Mrs. A lti na Sanders of New York City, originator of the Harlequin frame, was honored as one of the four winners of the 1939 American Design Awards sponsored by Lord & Taylor of New York and carrying a prize of $1,000. Presentation ceremonies by Walter Hoving, president of Lord & Taylor, and by Robert M. Hutchins, president of the University of Chicago, were broadcast over the N.B.C. Blue Network. __ T_he report inc 1 udes a photograph of Mrs. Sanders, but without glasses. . --·-------- H.W Hofstetter, Editor O.K. Penisten, Editor-on-leave 1982-13-01-001 1982-13-01-002 1982-13-01-003 1982-13-01-004 1982-13-01-005 1982-13-01-006 1982-13-01-007 1982-13-01-008 1982-13-01-009 1982-13-01-010 1982-13-01-011 1982-13-01-012 1982-13-01-013 1982-13-01-014 1982-13-01-015 1982-13-01-016 1982-13-01-017 1982-13-01-018 1982-13-01-019 1982-13-01-020 1982-13-01-021 1982-13-01-022 1982-13-01-023 1982-13-01-024