The evening times., 1899-07-04
OPTICIANS AND ocuL1sTs.
Is the Fitting of Classes Matte
of Physics or Medicine.

Is the Fitting of Classes Matter
of Physics or Medicine:
New York. July 4.-There is trouble be-
tween oculists and opticians Several
medical and oculist societies have recently
passed resolutions condemning the practice
OF opticians in examining eyes and fitting
glasses without physicians prescription.
The resolutions state in all cases that the
adaptation OF lenses to defective eyesight
belongs properly TO pathology, and should
be practieed only by regular graduated
physicians. Opticians they denounce as
mere tradesmen. and they discountenance
their growing pretences and assurances
There is another side to the question,
however, which the opticians set forth with
much emphasis. Their claim is that the
fitting of lenses to a defective eye and the
treatment of diseased eye are two sep
arate and distinct matters, which should
not be confused. The former, they declare,
requires no knowledge OF medicine, but
rather of the laws of physics. as it deals
merely with lenses and the refraction OF
light
This science of 'optometry' Is not taught
in any institution OF learning in the coun-
try. It's theoretical foundation rests on
the laws of light, and the rest is practice.
The only place to learn il is, in the office
of one who practices it, Thus speak the
opticians, who are seeking. and have been
seeking for a long time, TO obtain for this
science a legal status. TO have it taught,
and its practitioners recognized. The eff
fort is much like that which was made for
dentistry some years ago, and the opticians
say the result will inevitably be the same
The efficiency of his methods was illus
trated by an optician down town in an ex-
pertinent on one who was discussing the
matter with him. The subject OF the ex-
pertinent had had a pair Of readirg-g glasses
fitted to the eyes. on the prescription OF an
oculist. The optician. to demonstrate the
accuracy of his methods, after brief ex-
animation of the mans eyes, told him e1-
actly what the oculist had discovered by
a long and searching examination, and by
many questions. These questions relate
to the effect of certain experimental lenses
on the vision as tested by the well-known
cards of different sized letters, and the
radiating parallel lines. The optician put
his subject through his examination, tell
ing him correctly in each instance, from
his knowledge of the state Of the eyes, Just
what the effect of each lens would be on
the vision and told correctly each time BY
simpler methods he had done exactly what
the oculist had done.
An oculist whose opinion on the discus
sion was asked, replied that the whole
matter didn't amount TO row OF pins"
"It rests with the public at large" he said.
They are entirely. at liberty 10 choose be-
tween oculists and opticians. An optician
is competent enough as rule to TT glasses
to correct the vision, but glasses which are
to have any curative effect on diseases OF
the eye they cannot prescribe. They are
shrewd enough as a rule TO recognize such
cases when they see them. and to send
them to physician. For this reason they
rarely do any damage. 1t is slightly ir-
regular, just as il would be for physician
TO dispense his own drugs, but that is
about all that can be said of it. II they
want to have regular colleges and de-
gree and legal status l don't see why
they shouldn't. There are. / think, few
physicians who would raise any objection
TO that. l think the gist of the whole
trouble is that II is a good thing for op-
ticians TO get into discussion with regu-
lar practitioners"