Description

This book is essentially a catalog of eye instruments from the 19th century, previously owned by the Dutch Hospital for Eye Patients in Utrecht. The hospital was founded in 1858 by FC Donders (1818-1889). Donders was director until Herman Snellen (1834-1908) succeeded him in 1862, after having been director of the hospital for many years. These were the instruments that Donders and Snellen had designed, adapted or purchased. Many of them are prototypes of instruments that have become famous in optometric and ophthalmological practice over the next century. Some are scientific instruments that Donders and Snellen used for their research. Many were made or adapted by Donders’ assistant Kagenaar over 30 years. While the everyday instruments of 20th C ophthalmic practice were made of enameled cast iron, most of these prototype instruments are beautifully crafted in copper. Donders and Snellen, both Dutch, together with Herman von Helmholtz (1821-1894) are considered the founders of modern optometry and ophthalmology in Germany.
The instruments are grouped into 19 chapters, including instruments for external eye examination, ophthalmoscopes, visual acuity measurement, refraction, and color vision testing. The hospital was independent, but worked closely with Utrecht University and Donders and Snellen were university professors and hospital-trained ophthalmologists. In 1983 the hospital was renamed F.C. Donders Institute part of the university Utrecht Medical Center (UMC). The collection has been loaned to the University and is now kept in the University Museum. The F.C. Donders Institute continues the remarkable 150-year tradition of ophthalmic education and research. The book is a pleasure to browse and also a useful source for the identification of early ophthalmic instruments.

Author: den TONKELAAR Isolde, HENKES Harold E, van LEERSUM Gijsbert K
Year Of Publication/Manufacture: 1996
Publisher/Manufacturer: Batavian Lion
Description of the book: Original dust cover illustrated with an ophthalmotrope, black cloth boards, 275 x 220 mm, 301 pages very profusely illustrated with high quality images mostly in colour. Black and white illustrations of Franciscus Cornelius Donders and Herman Snellen Snr on pages 12 and 13.