OPTICAL ASSOCIATION

Evening Star, Issue 20309, 18 October 1929, Page 12

OPTICAL ASSOCIATION

THE MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago and Southland Optical Association was held on Monday night. Air H. Fairmaid p'-esided. At the conclusion of the business lor the evening, the president stated that it was with great regret he had to announce the death of a country member —Mr T. J. Quinn, of Gore. A motion of sympathy with the family was passed. A very interesting discussion was carried on for the remainder of the evening concerning the position of the present-day rcfractionist (or consulting optician). The principal speakers wore Air P. Dick and Air W. AL. Do Lacey, who pointed out that the strides made m recent years by refractionists in general were almost unbelievable. The public bad no idea of the extensive training that opticians must undergo in all branches of ophthalmology before they _ can obtain registration under the State to practise" in New Zealand as sight-test-ing opticians. An intending candidate must matriculate before lie can sit for the exams.

It was further pointed out that there are two parts of the rol'raetionist’s work—corrective and analytical. Corrective refraction concerns the. ascertainment of refractive and muscle conditions and the application of lenses for the correcting of the defects. Analytical refraction has to do with the differentiation between the symptoms of functional ocular delects and the symptoms of functional anomalies of other organs and morbid processes in the eye and in other parts of the body. Some conditions are remediable with 'spectacles, and some only with medical or surgical treatment. The differentiation between symptoms of eye strain requiring spectacles and symptoms simulative of eye strain caused by pathological conditions is the sine qua non of the profession. The scientific instruments used by refractionists of the present day were almost undreamed of not many years ago. These enable him to carry out his work with a precision unobtainable in the past. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the speakers, and the meeting ended with the customary informal social half-hour.