Stereoscopic ards for a binocular vison and for the treatment of heterophoria consists of a two-piece cardboard box consisting of lid (a) and box (b) which contains a manual (c) and 72 stereoscopic charts (d-www); box is made of brown cardboard with a purple textured covering and a cream paper labe…
Stereoscopic ards for a binocular vison and for the treatment of heterophoria consists of a two-piece cardboard box consisting of lid (a) and box (b) which contains a manual (c) and 72 stereoscopic charts (d-www); box is made of brown cardboard with a purple textured covering and a cream paper label on the top of the cover; manual is one folded-over piece of cream laminated paper folded in half to create a cover and three printed pages; each chart is made from thick card stock and has an alpha-numeric designation in the top left corner, the name of the set it was taken from in parentheses in the bottom right corner and two images; chart C2 is repeated, one is damaged.
Number Of Parts
75
Part Names
a - box lid - Size: Length 18.0 cm x Width 8.2 cm x Depth 2.5 cm
b - box - Size: Length 17.8 cm x Width 7.9 cm x Depth 2.9 cm
c - manual - Size (unfolded): Length 15.1 cm x Width 15.2 cm
d-www - charts - Size: Length 17.4 cm x Width 7.6 cm x Depth 1.0 mm
Provenance
Collected by Dr. A. A. Travill for Queen's Faculty of Medicine.
"DR. WELLS' SELECTION OF STEREOSCOPIC CHARTS // CAT. NO. 1965 // Twenty-Third Enlarged Edition // This set consists of 50 black & white and 21 colored charts as compiled by Dr. David W. Wells, Boston Mass., comprising the best charts from the sets of Javal, Kroll, Dahlfield, Hale, Keystone, and Bausch & Lomb; also several original charts by Dr. Wells and a chart for testing aviators in the service of the U. S. Government. The AO Stereoscope Phorometer was particularly designed to accept the above cards. // Published by // American [American Optical logo: a stylized white "AO" inside a black shield] Optical // COMPANY // Printed // in // U.S.A. // Box 14 3951G" printed on box label; front of manual: "DIRECTIONS // FOR THE USE OF // Dr Wells' Selection // of // Stereoscopic Charts // FOR CULTIVATING BINOCULAR // VISION AND FOR THE TREATMENT // OF HETEROPHORIA // Consisting of 50 Black and White // and 21 Colored Plates // TWENTY-THIRD EDITION // Consisting of 50 Black and White // and 21 Colored Plates // TWENTY-THIRD EDITION //No. 10 of this series // is used by the U.S. government for testing // aviators. // Series F and G are to be used to develop // a refinement of fusion by a gradual pro- // gression from large to smaller characters. // Series H and I consist of half pictures, // the separation varying from two and one- // half to eleven centimeters. These are use- // ful in cultivating the amplitude of the fusion // faculty. [...] // Series J is for increasing adduction with // perspective. // [...]"; back of manual: "[...] // For more detailed direction consult Dr. // Wells' Treatise, "The Stereoscope in Oph- // thalmology." For sale at any AO branch. // [...]"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-C8-2
Condition Remarks
#2: (a) and (b) both exhibit fading due to light exposure; there is water damage to the label on the lid; some charts have torn edges; one of the copies of chart C2 is stained and missing a corner
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
Reference Comments
Wilmer, William Holland. Aviation Medicine in the A.E.F. Washington: Govt. Printing Office, 1920.; Wilmer, William Holland. “Further Experience in the Ocular Functions of Aviators.” Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society. 17 (1919): 171-185
Research Facts
The chart E10 was used by the American government to train pilots and was copyrighted by Bausch & Lomb in 1918.
Despite some debate on the subject, stereoscopic vision was seen to be important for a pilot, especially when it came to judging distance during landings. Lack of stereoscopic vision was enough to temporarily ground a pilot. Additionally, the British military set up a “school of heterophoria” which trained the ocular muscles of prospective pilots who had been rejected for bad landings using both the stereoscope and the amblyoscope. In the period from August 1917 to July 1918, the school reported an 84.5% success rate for officers originally turned down for poor landings.