Ophthalmoscope
notes: label: Description
content: “In the whole history of medicine there is no more beautiful episode than the invention of the ophthalmoscope, and physiology has few greater triumphs.” So wrote Edward Greely Loring (1837-1888) on the first page of his <i>Textbook of Ophthalmology</i> (New York, 1886). An inscription on the box of this example reads “Dr. Loring’s Ophthalmoscope.”
label: Description
content: Loring graduated from the Harvard Medical School and spent a brief stint at the Massachusetts Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary before becoming an ophthalmologist in New York City. He introduced his first ophthalmoscope to the American Ophthalmological Society in 1869, noting that it could be had from H. W. Hunter, a local optician. A modification of Helmholtz’s instru-ment, this had several small lenses on the edge of a disc behind the mirror that could be rotat-ed by the forefinger to bring the lens best suited to the refraction of the eye under examination. A second modification, with more lenses, which followed a few years later, cost $30 and could also be had from Hunter.
label: Description
content: Ref: Edward G. Loring, “Determination of the Optical Condition of the Eye,” <i>American Journal of the Medical Sciences</i> 118 (1870): 323-348.
label: Description
content: Ed. G. Loring, “A New Modification of the Ophthalmoscope,” <i>American Journal of the Medical Sciences</i> 67 (1874): 133-135.
label: Description
content: Edward G. Loring, <i>A Textbook on Ophthalmology</i> (1886; 2nd Vol., 1891).
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Maryland, Baltimore
topic: label: Subject
content: Medicine
label: Subject
content: Ophthalmology
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of the State of Maryland
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.302606.228
label: accession number
content: 302606
label: catalog number
content: 302606.228
objectType: label: Object Name
content: ophthalmoscope
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric, silk (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric, velvet (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: black (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: aubergine (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: purple (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (ophthalmoscope material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (ophthalmoscope material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber, hard (ophthalmoscope material)
label: Physical Description
content: black (ophthalmoscope color)
label: Measurements
content: case: 1.8 cm x 11 cm x 5.4 cm; 23/32 in x 4 11/32 in x 2 1/8 in
label: Measurements
content: lens: 4 cm x 4 cm x .5 cm; 1 9/16 in x 1 9/16 in x 3/16 in
label: Measurements
content: ophthalmoscope attached: 5 7/8 in x 1 1/2 in x 3/8 in; 14.9225 cm x 3.81 cm x .9525 cm
label: Measurements
content: ophthalmoscope handle: 4 in x 3/8 in; 10.16 cm x .9525 cm
label: Measurements
content: ophthalmoscope head: 2 in x 1 3/8 in x 7/16 in; 5.08 cm x 3.4925 cm x 1.11125 cm