The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-22
COLLEGE INSTRUCTION
OF GREAT BENEFIT
DIR. VI. A. Hull, of Newport News.
Tells of Advantage of Better
Training for Optometrists.
STANDARD SHOULD BE RAISED
Only Those Who Are Capable Should
Be Permitted to Treat the Delicate
Organ of Stght--Text OF Interesting
Address.


Hull. of Newport News, delivered the
principal address, taking az her sub
| Ject The Advantages of a College
Course for Optometrists."
DR.. Hull is a successful optometrist.
having practiced the profession for
many years. Her training has been
assisted by college instruction in her
/ profession. and she urges this as a
! means of raising the standards of
optometry. standard that Will
cause the profession Of optometry to
! be looked up to as much so as the
doctor. the speaker said. should be
maintained. and this can be done
when only persons capable to treat
the eye will be engaged in the pro-
! fession.
/ Or. HulIs address is as follows
/ You have asked me to give a short
, talk on a subject which ! feel that
many others here could handle more
fully than l can; as they are older
! in the profession. with longer prac-
/ teal experience. and If they had
college education could speak from
both sides of the subject. while il
! they have not had a college education.
they could certainly tell US where they
/ feel that a college course would have
helped them to attain a greater sue
/ cess.
/ A person with good hard common
sense and a desire 10 succeed. will
educate himself from textbooks and
practice and make a success; but IL
/ he had the advantages OF r good COL
lege course in optics he would find the
road to success much easier; as it
would enable him To have more con-
! fidence in himself. az his initial ex-
perience would be obtained in a coll
lege where his mistakes were correct
ed. and not on the patient, where a
mistake would inture his standing in
/ the community.
Ali are liable to mistakes. but with
a good theoretical knowledge, COM
bined with the practical experience OBJ
tanned at a frst-class college, the mis-
takes are reduced 10 a minimum The
public also naturally respects, and has
! confidence in person that has re-
! ceived a college diploma and ii is to
| the public he must look for our bust
ness
We must realize now thar we are
= living in time OF specializing. and II
| we wish TO keep up with the times.
we must specialize in our line Of
work. or become old fogies. The
best way we can do this is 10 take up
a good college course bearing on our
work We must either so forward or
I backward. there is no standing still.
The matter that should occupy our
attention is how TO know. what to
know. so as TO put ourselves in the
safest position regarding the external
symptoms OF internal diseases, and be
able to tell the patient intelligently
whether glasses will correct his trouble
+ or whether he needs the attention OF
a physician.
In our up-io-iate colleges, such as
Columbia University they not only
give special instructions in mechani-
cal optics, which includes bending OF
frames, etc. but they also give you
practice on the use OF the vari0us in
] struments that are manufactured to
/ facilitate the work of the optometrist,
and they are also very thorough in
regard to the refractive and pathology
ical conditions of the eye and without
which knowledge ii is impossible to
DO the work in manner to command
the respect of our patients
Why is 1t so many people go to an
oculist instead OF an optometrist? Sim
ply because they know the oculist has
/ graduated from some college, and is
! in a position to recognize diseases and
treat the eye, If necessary: also, they
have to pass a state examination to
prove they are qualified for the pro-
| fession. Up TO recently there had
and any one could make an attempt
at refracting the eve and sell glasses.
Therefore. the public was afraid to
trust the optometrist
| ! do not think tho standard of op-
| tometry is too high and that there is
any danger OF it being made So A
person who has received a college ed
| ucaton is certainly better qualified
and more able to practice than one
that has not. 1t Is up to us as OPP
tometrsts. therefore, to raise our
| standard SO as to be able to diagnose
a disease, and thereby can send the
patient to the proper one for treat
ment. In this way we not only get
the good will of our patient, but also
of tho doctors.
The public do not realize that the
Ioptometrist has spent much more time
in studying the retroactive conditions
of the eye than the oculist, and Is in
much better position to correct those
errors, When the public realize this
point and also learn that we now
have to take state examination prov
ing our qualification, the road to sue
cess will be much easier.
Tho eye Is one of the most az not
the most) important organ of the
body. and we must look well to 1t that
only those who are capable should
treat the eye. and we should. there
| fore. maintain a standard that will
| cause the optometry profession to be
looked up to with respect as much so
as the doctor. and one Of which we
shall be proud to belong.
Tho foundation of college course
| should be good high school educa-
! ton. which enables one to better UNI
derstand the phrases used in explain
| ing the work. Before the completion
of the course in optics at Columbia,
you are required to examine the eyes
OF all the students in the class, which
gives you practical experience. Most
OF the colleges are now holding clinics
whereby people may come to have
| their eyes examined free by the stu
dents, and the students gain knowl-
edge of tnestimable value, as many