44 
Book  Reviews. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\    January,  1909. 
sight  requires  visual  aid,  depends.  It  is  a  concise  treatise  on  the 
spectacle  business,  and  sight  testing  and  spectacle  fitting  are  now 
said  to  be  well-recognized  branches  of  the  chemist's  business.  It 
is  predicted  that  as  the  chemist's  education  and  training  conduce  to 
carefulness  in  sight  testing  and  spectacle  fitting,  that  in  the  near 
future  a  greater  part  of  the  business  and  development  of  ophthalmic 
optics  will  be  in  the  hands  of  the  chemists  and  druggists. 
The  book  is  written  in  a  style  devoid  of  unnecessary  scientific  and 
involved  technical  methods.  Its  object  is  to  present  in  every-day 
language  the  subject,  and  to  supply  the  want  of  a  popular  and  handy 
volume,  printed  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  pharmacist  optician,  and 
to  make  him  proficient  in  this  profitable  and  legitimate  side  line. 
The  optical  principles  of  light  refraction,  lenses,  and  prisms  are 
concisely  treated ;  likewise  the  mechanical  features  of  manufacture. 
The  chapter  on  spectacle  and  eyeglass  frames  is  characterized  by 
simple  descriptions  of  the  parts,  shapes,  styles,  structure  and  compo- 
sition and  methods  of  measuring.  It  is  followed  by  instructions  for 
face  measuring  and  adjusting. 
Outlines  for  making  repairs  are  given  as  a  matter  of  information 
for  the  dealer,  even  if  it  is  not  possible  for  him  to  undertake  such 
work  on  his  premises. 
The  several  chapters  devoted  to  the  structure  of  the  eye,  func- 
tions, refraction,  defects  and  diseases  of  the  eye,  are  treated  with 
characteristic  brevity  and  clearness.  A  short  chapter  is  devoted 
to  the  subject  of  artificial  eyes.  The  chapter  treating  of  drugs  which 
act  on  the  eye  is  an  excellent  compilation  in  a  most  compact  form 
of  the  action  and  value  of  the  known  mydriatics  and  myotics. 
The  several  methods  and  apparatus  used  for  sight  testing,  arrange- 
ment of  the  testing  room,  .practical  instructions  for  testing  for 
myopia,  hyperopia,  astigmatism  and  presbyopia,  etc.,  all  receive 
concise  treatment. 
The  chapter  on  optical  prescriptions  is  a  very  excellent  exposition 
of  this  branch  of  the  subject.  It  is  followed  by  another  chapter 
devoted  to  the  subject  of  ordering  glasses  from  the  manufacturer  and 
the  keeping  of  proper  records.  The  part  devoted  to  bibliography  is 
an  excellent  index  to  the  literature  on  this  subject. 
This  handy  volume  should  prove  to  be  of  value  and  a  practical 
hand-book  to  every  dealer  in  this  class  of  wares. 
G.  M.  B. 
