Optical Tonometer
name: label: maker
content: E. B. Meyrowitz, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: An optical tonometer determines intraocular pressure by measuring the resistance of a cornea to indentation. A German professor introduced the basic form in 1862. William McLean (1876-1966), a homeopathic surgeon affiliated with the New York Ophthalmic Hospital, argued that his patented design offered several improvements over the Schiotz: it was more easily read, and there was no need to change weights. Inscription on the box of this example reads “McLean Tonometer” and “E. B. Meyrowitz, INC. / LONDON-NEW YORK-PARIS”.
label: Description
content: Ref: William McLean, “Method of and Means for Measuring the Hardness or Softness of Eyes,” U.S. Patent 1,291,050 (Jan. 14, 1919).
label: Description
content: William McLean, “Some Experimental Investigations Concerning Intra-Ocular Pressure,” <i>Journal of Ophthalmology, Otology and Laryngology</i> (1914).
label: Description
content: V. Mueller & Co., <i>Surgeon’s Instruments, Office and Hospital Equipment</i> (1916), p. 3.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Eugene R. Barenburg in the name of the family of the late J. W. Barenburg, M.D.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1978.2269.04
label: catalog number
content: 1978.2269.04
label: accession number
content: 1978.2269
label: serial number
content: 2197
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Tonometer
label: Object Name
content: tonometer
label: Other Terms
content: Tonometer; Medicine
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 1/4 in x 6 1/8 in x 3 7/8 in; 3.175 cm x 15.5575 cm x 9.8425 cm
label: Measurements
content: instrument: 13.2 cm; 5 3/16 in
label: Measurements
content: box: 15.3 cm x 9.5 cm x 2.7 cm; 6 1/32 in x 3 3/4 in x 1 1/16 in