The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1909-03-31
Why the Fitting of Glasses is Not the
Practice Of Medicine.

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Synopsis Of Argument by August G..
Morck, Oil City, Pa, before the Senate
Committee on Public Health, March q,
1909:
OFFICIALLY speaking, the Eye is like a
camera, because it possesses both a light
bending and a light registering apparatus.
In a camera, the light-registering plate,
or focal screen, is chemically sensitized.
In an Eye, it is nervously sensitized,
thereby communicating impressions
made by waves of light to the brain, in a
similar manner to the action of the sen
sorry nerves of the skin in communicating
a touch of the band to the brain. An Eye
can be born imperfectly shaped, as we'll
as a nose or an ear, or foot, and still be
considered a healthy organ free from dis
ease. The Eye, like a camera, in order
to do good work must have its light
bending and light-registering apparatus
in perfect adjustment to each other.
II, for instance, an Eye is abnormally
shaped, or, in other words, the Antero.
Posterior dianeter of the Eye Is too short
or too long, vision is maintained through
an excessive exertion of the Cilliary
muscles which govern the focal power Of
the Eye. This continuous exertion causes
Eye strain" and its trains of headaches
and other nervous refexes, the same as
leg or any other muscles, can produce
nervous ~reflexes. In n case a pair Of
glasses serves to bend the rays of light
before they enter the imperfectly formed
Eye and thus enable 1t to perform its
visual functions without excessive effort.
In case of overtsxed leg muscles a cane,a
crutch or a chair performs a similar SER
vice, and then these aids belong under
the same classification as that given
glasses and all other external devices en-
From the time of the invention of specta-
cles, 1899 A. D., up to to about 1850, with
but a very few exceptions, nearly all Of
the scientific achievements pertaining to
optics were discovered by opticians and
astronomers. At this time observing
oculists noted that the wearing of glasses
did more than just aid the eyesight, and
consequently they annexed the work Of
the optician to his practice and began to
fit glasses. And now these oculists say
that if glasses relieve headache then they
must per force be medicine. But we
optometrists reply that if the practice of
is the practice ofmedicine why
don't medical colleges teach II? For a
number of years poisonous drugs were
used to prepare healthy Eyes for optical
measurements and some of the oculists
are still using the same old Rip Van
methods. 1t is now known, how
ever, that more perfect results can be
achieved without these "drops," than
with them, providing the operator under
and uses the Dynamic Method of
Retinoscopy. You ask why don't oculists
this method Gentlemen, this svs-
tenn is the discovery OF A. Jay Cross, a
New York Optometrist of the highest
rank, a "Marconi' in the science of OPP
tics, so we presume it would not be con-
sidered ethical to adopt a method that
was originated by an optometrist. An
other argument of the Oculists is that
diseases of the Eyes car only be recog-
niZed by an ocu list This is a presump-
ton, for which the modern improved in
struments that are used to explore the
inner Eye any intelligent optometrist can
recognize a diseased Eye as readily as
any one, but as optometrists do not treat
diseases these cases are turned over to
the proper authority. 1t is estimated
that about so per cent. of the practice of
the average oculist comes from an ex-
animation of the Eyes with a view to
fitting glasses. So we have the old, old
story of the "Dog in the Msnger." The
great middle class in this State, who can
not nor will not go to a charitable Eye
hospital to be practiced on by an incompe-
tent post graduate student, must either
remain partially blind or pay medical fees
for mechanical work. l am pleased to
state that the better class of ~oculists and
most all of the regular practitioners of
medicine are not in sympathy with a bill
that will put optometrists out OF business,
as the most of these doctors send their re-
fraction work to the optometrists for the
simple reason that they are too busy
practicing medicine and with their micro
scope OOKln lOr more Hie-ueStrOylng
agencies. In recent researches they have
found so many new ones that they name
them after cities and countries; for in
stance, there is the "Germacide'' from
Germany, "Psriscide," from Paris, and
the "Microbe" from Irland, and / want
TO state right here that we have as high a
class of medical doctors in Venango
county as can be found any where.
Gentlemen, / will not delay you any
longer. / rave the utmost confidence In
this Committee to give us a ''square deal'
and that you will make laws that will
protect the people generally and not cater
to the whims OF a few disgruntled ocu-
lists who are trying to usurp the ira
ditional rights of a craft that has done so
much in the uplifting of optometry and