John Lizars Ltd.; 1830-1999; Optician and instrument maker]]> Ophthalmic surgeon Hugh Wright Thomson worked with Trotter to develop the skiascope which he used initially for eye examinations in school children although he subsequently also found it helpful for adults in hospital refraction work. A long stem was attached to its centre and the circular frame was fitted with twenty of the lenses most commonly used in retinoscopy (technique to objectively determine the refractive error of the eye – farsighted, nearsighted, astigmatism – and the need for glasses).]]> John Trotter Ltd.; 1867-2014; Optician and instrument maker]]>
Case: Black, faux leather, with thin pressed brass external clasp. Internally fitted with recesses for the ophthalmoscope parts, lined with royal blue silk and velvet.

Ophthalmoscope: Standard Lister-Morton model, battery powered.

A. Stanford Morton was an ophthalmologist active during the late 19th century. He designed a new style of ophthalmoscope during the 1880s, which would have shone light on the eye via several mirrors. The original design remained unchanged for over 100 years, with one slight variation being the Lister-Morton ophthalmoscope.
This Lister-Morton ophthalmoscope is powered by a battery, which illuminates the eye via a built-in torch. The Lister spoken of in the title of this instrument is not Sir Joseph Lister, but his nephew, Sir William Tindall Lister. He was the one who added an electrical component to Morton's classic model of the ophthalmoscope. ]]>

Pictured here is a pair of pince-nez spectacles with a folding mechanism for easy storage. Pince-nez literally translates to "to pinch the nose", which perfectly describes how they were worn. The glasses sat at the end of the nose and were often supported by ear chains. ]]>

Andrew Stanford Morton was an ophthalmic surgeon during the late 1800s, and is most well-known for his adaptation to the ophthalmoscope, the Morton-Pattern ophthalmoscope. This design of ophthalmoscope would later be improved by the introduction of batteries to power the light source, known as the Lister-Morton ophthalmoscope. ]]>
Morton; Andrew Stanford (1848-1927); Ophthalmologist; physician]]>

Colour blindness is the inability to distinguish between different colours. It is an inherited condition that usually affects males more than females. This pack of cards would have been used to diagnose this condition and were invented by ophthalmologist, F.W. Edridge-Green. ]]>
Edridge-Green; F. W. (1863-1953); Ophthalmologist]]>

This syringe would have been used to wash out the lacrimal system of the eye. ]]>

Pictured here is an example of an opthalmodynamomter dating from 1917. Manufactured by Giroux of France, this instrument would have been used to test the blood pressure of the retinal vessels at the back of the eye. This technique was invented by the French ophthalmologist, Paul Bailliart in 1917. The instrument is a rod-shaped piston with a convex head, which is pressed against the lateral side of the eye with the retina being observed through an ophthalmoscope. The pressure is increased in 10 gram intervals. ]]>

Pictured here is a corneal trephine powered by a clockwork mechanism, manufactured by Koutny. It is held in a leather box lined with velvet, along with 4 different trephine heads and scaler. By winding up the trephine, the instrument would be used to drill into a portion of the cornea for removal. ]]>

Thomas Reid was an ophthalmologist in Glasgow during the late 1800s. He graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1857 and was a pupil of the famous ophthalmologist, William Mackenzie. Reid designed this instrument to measure the curvature of the central area of the cornea. It was presented to the Royal Society of London in 1893, and the paper was communicated by Lord Kelvin. ]]>

Thomas Reid's Portable Ophthalmometer by RCPSG Heritage on Sketchfab

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Kelvin & James White Ltd.; 1900-1914; Optician and mathematical instrument maker]]>

An amblyoscope is an ophthalmic device that is used to measure the angle of squint in the eye and develop the fusion faculty of the patient. The fusion faculty is the ability of the brain to fuse images from both eyes into one. Small pictures are placed in the two slides of the amblyoscope and moved closer or further apart to determine at which angle the squint fuses the images into one. ]]>
Worth; Claud (1869-1936); Ophthalmologist]]>

This self-illuminating ophthalmoscope dates from the late 19th century and was invented by Lionel Beale, a British physician working in London. The ophthalmoscope was illuminated by a flame, kept alight by a spirit burner contained within the stand of the instrument. ]]>

This woodcut was designed by Wharton Jones and Richie Brown with the intention of including the illustration in a textbook on ophthalmology that William Mackenzie was developing.]]>

Woodcut of Coloboma of the Iris by RCPSG Heritage on Sketchfab

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A tonometer is an ophthalmic device used to measure the intra-ocular pressure of the eye and determine if the patient is at risk of glaucoma.
The eye to be examined is anaesthetised and the foot plate of the tonometer is pressed gently onto the cornea. By this method, the ophthalmologist is able to measure the patient's intra-ocular pressure in mmHg. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

This case of ophthalmic instruments is from the Glasgow Eye Infirmary. Manufactured by J. Weiss & Son, this case once belonged to ophthalmic surgeon, Hugh Wright Thomson. Thomson was a house surgeon at the Glasgow Eye Infirmary and was a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

The lacrimal sac is towards the midline of the body, sitting on the lateral side of the nose and medial side of the eyeball. It sits within the space formed by the lacrimal bone and frontal process of the maxilla. The nasolacrimal duct descends from the sac down towards the nasal cavity. This retractor would have been used during surgery to move the sac out of the way. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

The iris is the coloured portion of the eye surrounding the pupil. The iris has the ability to constrict and dilate the pupil to alter the amount of light that is focused onto the retina by the lens. This iris hook would have been used to retract the iris during cataract surgery. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

A capsulotomy is an ophthalmic procedure involving the lens of the eye. This small metal knife would have been used to make an incision into the lens. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

The design of this cataract knife was invented by Austrian ophthalmologist, Georg Joseph Beer, who pioneered a new method of cataract surgery during the late 1700s. This knife would have been used to remove some of the affected lens. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

This small knife was used during a cataract operation to cut into the cornea, the outer transparent part of the eye. The knife was designed by Albrecht von Graefe, a Prussian ophthalmologist during the 1800s and manufactured by John Weiss & Son of London. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

An eye vectis is an ophthalmic instrument used during cataract surgery. The wire loop at the end of the instrument would extract any cataract material from the lens of the patient. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

Undine irrigators are ophthalmic instruments used to clean out the inner surface of the eyelids of a patient. The flow of the cleansing liquid would be controlled by placing the thumb over the spout. ]]>
2003/77.23]]>

These glasses were most likely used in a laboratory, with the side cups preventing any debris from entering the eyes. ]]>

A lorgnette is a style of glasses where the lenses must be held in front of the eyes by a handle rather than worn on the face. This lorgnette has a spring mechanism for easy storage in a pocket. Lorgnettes were classically worn by those of a higher class, especially whilst watching an opera! ]]>

Quizzing glasses were named so due to the tendency for the wearer to hold up the lens and "quiz" the person or object that they were looking at. This style of spectacle is simply a magnifying glass and was often attached to a chain when worn. ]]>

An iridectomy is a surgical procedure where part of the iris, the coloured part of the eye, is removed. This knife is used to cut out the desired piece of iris. Patients with glaucoma can receive an iridectomy to reduce the intra-orbital pressure. ]]>
John Weiss & Son, Ltd.; 1787-; Surgical instrument makers]]>

This book came to the College from the library of the Glasgow Eye Infirmary, having previously belonged to Andrew Freeland Fergus, ophthalmologist and former President of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. It was in quite poor condition when it was scanned - the binding had all but fallen apart, and this allowed us to get better pictures of each page. Once scanning was complete it was sent away for conservation. The book has recently returned from the conservator's workshop; it's now housed in a lovely new binding and stored alongside our rare book collections.

Richard Liebreich (1830-1917) was a German ophthalmologist and physiologist. In addition to this volume, the College library holds a similar atlas from 1863 and a short pamphlet.

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Constructed of white celluloid.]]>
Pipettes/dropper bottles: Six in number. The glass cylinders were uniform in diameter, with an ovel aperture (1.1cm x 0.85cm) in the glass wall, about mid length. This was covered by a rubber membrane, to give the user complete control of the solution delivery.

The pipettes are made of different coloured glass, to identify the contents easily and safely. It would seem that the colours identified the solutions as follows:
Purple = Atropine
Flint (clear) = Cocaine
Ruby = Eserine
Dark blue = Adrenaline
Green = Euphthalmine (eucatropine, a long-acting atropine)
Amber = Fluorescein

Metal stand: Consists of a square flat metal base, 10.28cm in size. Central metal column, 0.64cm in diameter and 17cm in height, ending in a lifting ring 3.1cm diameter. Two metal discs 8.25cm in diameter are incorporated into the central column 3.4cm apart, each with six disc cutouts 1.74cm in diameter, to retain the glass pipettes.

Chromium plated.

Glass dome, retained by four spring clips located on the stand base, is 18cm in height, by 9.5cm in diameter. Clear glass, 0.025cm thickness.

[Dr A J Ballantyne was a well known Glasgow Ophthalmologist, active between 1910 and 1945, being eventually appointed Professor of Ophthalmology at Glasgow University, and a senior Consultant at The Tennant Institute for Ophthalmology, in Glasgow.]]]>
Down Bros Ltd.; 1874-1989; Health care manufacturer]]>
Freeland Fergus studied at the University of Glasgow, graduating MB, CM in 1881 and MD in 1891. After further training in Europe he was appointed Assistant Surgeon at the Glasgow Eye Infirmary in 1882 and full Surgeon in 1890. He was at this post until 1919.

He made several contributions to the field of opthalmology, including the introduction of the sterilisation of instruments and dressings in his practice, and the promotion of the Blind Persons (Scotland) Act of 1920.

Freeland Fergus came from a well-known medical family, with both his father and brother also holding office as President of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. ]]>
Dowell; Charles Rennie (c.1876-1935); Artist]]>

In 1824 he co-founded the Glasgow Eye Infirmary and also became the first editor of the Glasgow Medical Journal. His “Treatise on Diseases of the Eye”, published in 1830, was a standard textbook on the subject for over 20 years until the invention of the ophthalmoscope radically changed the practice of ophthalmology. He served as surgeon-oculist to Queen Victoria and would have been President of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, but declined his election to this office on health grounds.

This portrait was presented to the Faculty by Mackenzie's widow in 1884, and his extensive library, including works in several languages on ophthalmology and general surgery, was later donated to the Faculty by his son.
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Mackenzie; William (1791-1868); Dr; Ophthalmologist]]> Mackenzie; William (1791-1868); Dr; Ophthalmologist]]> Mackenzie; William (1791-1868); Dr; Ophthalmologist]]> Mackenzie; William (1791-1868); Dr; Ophthalmologist]]> Jones; Thomas Wharton (1808-1891); ophthalmologist]]> Mackenzie; William (1791-1868); Dr; Ophthalmologist]]> Cameron's Surgical Specialty Co.; 1922-1957; Surgical instrument manufacturer]]>
William Mackenzie was a Scottish ophthalmologist and founder of the Glasgow Eye Infirmary in 1850. He studied medicine at the University of Glasgow, was a member of the RCPSG, and eventually held the chair of anatomy at the Anderson Medical School. Mackenzie was one of the leading ophthalmologists of his day, and his publication "Practical Treatise of the Diseases of the Eye" became a must-have textbook for all aspiring ophthalmologists. ]]>

Woodcut of Coloboma of the Iris by RCPSG Heritage on Sketchfab

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Woodcut of Coloboma of the Iris
Portrait of William Mackenzie
Notes regarding poisoning
Horizontal section of the right eye
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Top: Abscess of the lacrimal sac and mucocele.
Bottom left: Acute dacrocystitis
Bottom right: Fistula lachrymalis. ]]>

Top left: Foreign body of the cornea
Top right: Catarrhal ophthalmia

Middle left: Pustular ophthalmia
Middle right: Diphtheritic ophthalmia

Bottom left: Follicular conjunctivitis
Bottom right: Granular ophthalmia]]>

Top left: Pyramidal cataract and distension of eyeball
Top right: Gonococcus

Middle: Pyramidal cataract

Bottom left: Chemosis of ocular conjunctiva
Bottom right: Necrosis of cornea]]>

Top: Pustular ophthalmia

Bottom: Ecstasia corneae]]>

Top: Early stage granular ophthalmia

Bottom: Late stage granular ophthalmia]]>

Top left: Phlyctenular ulcer
Top right: Pannus scrofulosus

Middle left: Ulcer corneae
Middle right: Prolapsus iridis

Bottom left: Pannus trachomatosus
Bottom right: Xerophthalmia]]>

Top: Depressed bridge of nose

Middle: Eyes which have recovered from interstitial keratitis

Bottom left: Notched teeth
Bottom right: Fissures at angle of mouth]]>

This instrument would have been used to wash out the lachrymal system of the eye. ]]>

This instrument has an inscription reading '6.' ]]>

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