The Portland daily press., 1881-06-23
Report accented
DR.. James A. Spalding delivered the annu-

NepOFb accepted.
DR.. James A. Spaldiug delivered the anuu-
al Grafton.
DIR. sPALDING's ADDRESS
The annual address was then read by James
A. Spalding, M. D., of Portland. Subject:
"Opthalmology, ancient and modern" The
orators aim was to depict the advances in the
treatment of diseases of the eye, from the most
ancient historic times to our own. Egypt, the
fatherland of ancient civilization, was the
first country in which we hear of specialists Of
any sort in medicine. The sand in that desert
country was productive of so many diseases of
the eyes that class of specialists in those dis
eases became created by the very necessity of
freeing the people from condition which
nearly bordered on total blindness Without
good sight the people would Ebecome slaves
to the savage people by whom they were sur
rounded. In due season these specialists from
Egypt wandered into Arabia, Palestine and
Greece. In the latter land many advances
were made, but the treatment employed was
generally empirical, and oftentimes utterly
barbarous The Romans in turn received
their knowledge of diseases of the eye from the
Greeks. But, as often happens, oculists began
to multiply so rapidly, and competition became
so disastrous, that the speciality became over
crowded and degraded into miserable and con-
temptible quackery. All through the dark
ages there were traces of an effort on the part
OF the general practitioners to throw light on so
important a branch of medicine as the nature
and treatment of diseases of the eye, but the
ocullsts were SO numerous, so bold and SO over
powerlng that superstition and quackery con-
tinued to rule uninterruptedly. Hidden away,
however. here aud there in closters, the monks
did good service, inventing ,spectacles, for in
stance, and studying the laws of optics and
light.
With the advent of John Kepler:and New
ton, new light began to break over the dark
ness OF the past; and skilful surgeons flocked to
the study of the eye. laws were passed in
Prussia demanding proper examinations be-
fore any one could be allowed to practice as an
ocullst and extraordinary advances in MANY
directions were made. Amongst the greatest
OF all Of these discoveries was that in 1907,
that cataract for instance was mot film in
'front.' OF the eye, but an Opaque part of the eye
itself. And further still, in 1850, the fest
cataract was extracted from a bind eve.
While following up these traces of develop.
ment, in ophthalmology the address noticed
several of the quaint German and English
hand-books OF that era, quoted here and there
some specimens Of the medical opinions that
then prevailed, and drew picture of the per-
Sonality OF the most notorious uuack Dentists
OF the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
UP to- 1850 the speciality of ophthalmology
had made great advances, but the interior OF
the eye could not be examined. In that year
simple contrivance Ia mirror with a central
aperture) enabled this difficulty to be over
come, and created revolution in this ima
portant speciality. Since that discovery the
advances have been phenomenal. until it may
now be said that the science of the treatment
OF diseases OF the eye has almost reached per-
lection.
Having sketched in detail the complete
history of the speciality, the orator next called
attention to the necessity of reducing the pre-
sent large percentage of cases of blindness by
the mutual cooperation of the general oracti-
TONER and the specialist. If the practitioner
had case of general bodily arrangement &C.
cotmpanied with defect Of vision he should
consult with a specialist. On the other
hand, if the specialist discovered some
defect in vision in which there was nc
disease OF the eye, but which was evidently
dependent on general constitutional disease,
he should at once consult with the practition.
er. There was no need of either practitioner OF
specialist interfering in their treatment in such
cases; they were to unite and help the patient.
The same suggestion was made in other cases
especially in young children, to which the
practitioner could not give his whole care. A
few words We're also devoted to the most i'm.
pOrtant cases with which we can ever meet.
i. e., in which an injury of one eye may cause
sympathetic loss of vision in the other.
In conclusion, it was urged that the special.
| ist in diseases of the eye should have thor.
ough medical knowledge for aifoundation, ther
add his special knowledge of the organ in
question by long and careful study before be-
| ing allowed to practice, and especially before
being recommended by the practitioner We
are not to believe that any one really knows
anything about any special part of the body
simply because he claims to be specialist
| we must inquire what means such men have
mad OF ARRIVING at any greater degree of spec
lal knowledge than that which the practitionel
himself may have.
|
| On motion OF DR.. Weeks. the thanks of thu
association, We're rendered DR.. Spaldng fol
his able and interesting address.
In the evening the annual banquet tool
place in Reception Hall. The members ani
guests with their ladies assembled in thu
Council Chamber and listened to some de
lightful music from Shaws quartotte, com
posed OF Messrs Shaw, Colby, Stetson ant
| Bowdoin, accompanied by Mrs. Shaw. The,
then proceeded to the banquet which was de