Hindsight_54_2_FINAL.pdf


HINDSIGHT: Journal of Optometry History 35

EDITORIAL LAWRENCE BAITCH, O.D., PHD

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I greatly enjoyed the review of Israel 
Dvorine’s autobiography by Lynn Brandes.

Israel was a family friend and one of 
the key people inspiring me to seek a 
career in the Optometric Profession. In 
addition to his book that Lynn reviewed, 
Israel gave me a signed copy of Analytical 
Refraction and Orthoptics, which he 
first published in 1939 and which went 
through six printings before its last 
publication in 1948.

I also own a Dvorine Pseudo-
Isochromatic Color Test, which the 
Civil Aeronautics Administration and 
Armed Services Material Coordination 
Committee asked Dr. Dvorine to develop 
for testing of pilots. In addition to the 
pseudoisochromatic plates, one of its 
unique features is a color wheel that can 
be rotated to individually display circles 
of color that the patient must identify 
by name. The color wheel is two-sided, 
with regular colors on one side and 
desaturated colors on the reverse.

Personal bias aside, I have always 
found the Dvorine color test to be 
more sensitive than the Ishihara 
Pseudoisochromatic Color Test and use 
it to this day (with scrupulous protection 
of the pigments) here in our clinic at the 
MCPHS University School of Optometry.

I am sending an image of the photo 
from Dr. Dvorine’s book that he signed for 
me after I told him I was accepted into 
optometry school.

I don’t have a copy of the 
Dvorine Animated Fusion Training Charts, 
but I’m always on the lookout for them.

Thanks again for bringing this 
important pioneer in Optometry (and 
all-around wonderful person) to our 
profession’s attention.

Israel Dvorine

Lawrence Baitch, O.D., PhD

Larry.Baitch@mcphs.edu

10.14434/hindsight.v54i2.37206