CORRESPONDENCE 403

posterior lamellar opacities of old age these opacities are distinguished by their central position, a lack of ten­dency to extend toward the periphery, and a decided tendency to advance into the anterior cortical layers.

The author discusses the subtle changes in the anterior lens capsule which he has observed especially in glassblowers but also in typical senile cataract. The course to be adopted in the treatment of these cases does not differ from that of ordinary senile cat­aract. The mere existence of opacity at the posterior pole does not ordi­narily present an indication for opera­tive interference. From the ophthal­mologist's standpoint, the results of operation for glassblower's cataract are nothing short of ideal. Out of ninety-one operations, the author obtained in seventy-one eyes visual acuity of 1.0, in five eyes vision of 0.5 to 0.9, in six­teen eyes vision of 0.1 to 0.4 (including five with secondary cataract which would be capable of improvement), and in five eyes less than 0.1, and he lost one eye through suppuration. The author's experience, together with a consideration of the statistics pub­lished by others, leads him to the con­clusion that cataract is about four times as common in glassblowers over fifty years of age as in the general community after this age.

Various possibilities as to the exact etiological factors involved are dis­cussed, without any very definite con­clusion. Dealing with the possibility of protection by special types of spec­tacle lens, the author finds the main difficulty to be that of convincing the worker of the necessity for wearing spectacles. A final chapter deals with the problems of industrial compensa­tion in this industry. Operation should be required before compensa­tion is finally adjudicated.

W. H. C.

Uber die Darstellung der Hornhauto-berflache und ihrer Veranderungen im Reflexbild (Representation of the corneal surface and its changes in reflex image). F. T, Fischer (Leipzig, Germany). 84 pages,

112 reproductions in the text. Pa­per covers, price 10 marks. Miinchen, J. F. Bergmann.

By means of special photographic apparatus, the author, whose work was supported by the Notgemeinschaft der Deutschen Wissenschaft, undertook to find a new way for representing the surfaces of the eye and their changes. The method employed has some anal­ogy with the well known procedure for studying anomalies of corneal curva­ture with Placido's disc and Helm-holtz's ophthalmometer. The reflect­ing surfaces available for such study include only the surface of the film of tears and the surface of the cornea.

A chapter is devoted to study of the reflex image under the influence of pharmacodynamically and chemically active materials. Many excellent pho­tographs reproduce the various fantas­tic patterns obtained by different means. Some of the work was done on human beings, and some on rabbits. The pathological conditions repre­sented include corneal erosion, den­dritic keratitis, eczematous keratitis, and epithelial dystrophy.

W. H. C.

CORRESPONDENCE "Eye physician" or "Eye surgeon" To the editor: The exception taken

by Dr. Wilder to the use of the term "eye physician" as more accurately de­scribing us to the general public than the term oculist or ophthalmologist, commonly in use, seems to be justified not alone on the grounds upon which he bases his position but for other reasons also.

The motive underlying this sugges­tion of the Guild of Prescription Opti­cians is the desire to convey to the general public the conception that eye disturbances of any kind come within the province of medicine, and should be dealt with only by those having special medical training.

An interpretation may easily be put upon this term which would prove very influential in defeating its purpose.

The state has licensed men, who have no medical training, to test eyes