> "Neil Brooks" <neil0...[at]yahoo.com> wrote
> > I can't speak for anybody else, Mike, but I get just a bit tired of
> > you using real-world experience, based on years of actual practice in
> > a vain attempt to discredit Otis's fabrications
> I do prattle on sometimes. Sorry.
> -MT

> I can't speak for anybody else, Mike, but I get just a bit tired of
> you using real-world experience, based on years of actual practice in
> a vain attempt to discredit Otis's fabrications

> <otisbr...[at]pa.net> wrote
> > And of course, a good topic would be the habit
> > of over-prescribing a child by -4 diopters.
> First you'd have to find someone in the habit of over-prescribing by 4
> diopters.
> > And how to handle the mother who "complains"
> > after the -4 diopter over-prescription is detected.
> 3. Mom wouldn't let the doctor cycloplege.
> 4. No that isn't supposed to happen. Let us remake the glasses.
> -MT

> [snip]
> Present it to the doctors at the conference, Uncle Otie.
> Nobody here agrees with you.
> The overwhelming majority of us find you laughable, ridiculous, and
> likely senile.

> You've presented not one single new piece of information in years. You
> don't discuss. You simply preach.

> So ... tell it to somebody who cares .... and/or answer these
> questions:
> www.nbeener.com/NDB_OSB_Qs.txt

> For your information:
> In fact papers have been submitted -- AND REJECTED -- concerning
> the second-opinion, that a negative refractive STATE of
> the fundamental eye can be prevented.
> Dr. Maurice Brumer did exactly that, but since his
> concept was HATED, his analysis was rejected.
> Here is part of his review. I doubt that these people
> have the GUTS to begin a discussion along these
> lines.
> Been there -- done that.
> +++++++++
> A COURAGEOUS EYE DOCTOR DOCUMENTS THE SECONDARY EFFECT OF USING A
> NEGATIVE LENS
> EYESTRAIN - ITS CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND TREATMENT
> By Dr. Maurice Brumer, Frankston, 3199, Australia
> . . . A succession of practicing optometrists have followed Fournet [a
> pioneer in the use of the plus lens] to this day, all convinced of
> this major shortcoming [use of a negative lens] in eye care. They have
> all been successfully ignored or treated as cranks and heretics, and
> the issue has remained at this level for 90 years. The clarion cry of
> the eye care professions has been "show us proof of the relationship
> of eyestrain and eye disease". I will now demonstrate that no shortage
> of this proof exists.
> At the 1973 annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry, a
> paper entitled, "Bifocal Control of Myopia", was presented by Francis
> Young, Director of the Primate Research Center at Washington State
> University, and Kenneth Oakley, an ophthalmologist from Bend, Oregon.
> Their study found that the effects of properly fitted bifocals (eye
> strain reducing glasses) on young myopes are to drop the rate of
> progression of this condition from an average of about one half a
> diopter per year to about on fortieth of a diopter per year. This
> study involved control and experimental subjects who were matched for
> age, sex, initial refractive error and duration of wearing bifocals so
> that most of the possible causes of failure to achieve results with
> bifocals were controlled.
> THE BIFOCAL (PLUS LENS) STUDY
> There was a significant number of subjects, 226 in the bifocal group
> and 192 in the control group, to assure that the results were
> consistent and effective over time. The effect of the bifocal was
> uniformly to reduce the rate of progression even in children who had
> already achieved as much as 4 or 5 diopters of myopia before they were
> fitted with bifocals. In other words, the control group moved into
> myopia at a rate 20 times faster than the bifocal (plus lens) group.
> The implications of such results are obvious and sinister when it is
> considered that myopia is the third largest cause of blindness in
> western society.
> SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS DEVELOP FROM USING A MINUS LENS
> The visual disability in high myopia is usually considerable. I am
> including this description of the condition as felt by its victims so
> that you may put yourself in their situation:
> Apart from the visual incapacity, the high myope is not usually
> comfortable in the use of his eyes. When corrected, the small, sharply
> defined and bright images are annoying; much use of the eyes brings
> about a feeling of strain and fatigue. The degenerated and liquefied
> vitreous gives rise to a multitude of "muscae volitantes" and floating
> opacities, and these, throwing abnormally large images upon the retina
> owing to its backward displacement, cause a great deal of distress and
> anxiety to the patient although their actual significance is small.
> Most of these patients are naturally anxious. Their disability is
> obvious and may have excited sympathy. The memory of admonitions to
> care for the eyes lingers into adult life. Thus matters tend to
> progress slowly and relentlessly, the patient all the while never
> using his eyes with comfort or without anxiety until finally no useful
> vision may remain or until the occurrence of a sudden calamity such as
> a gross macular lesion, a hemorrhage of a retinal detachment brings
> about a more dramatic crisis. (I thank Sir Stewart Duke-Elder for this
> description).
> The complications of myopia are numerous and grave, frequently
> resulting in blindness. The degenerative changes appear typically in
> adult life after the myopia has been fully established for some
> years.
> The complications are:
> Choroidal thrombosis and hemorrhage.
> Vitreous opacity, always present in some degree in high myopia, this
> condition may suddenly increase to become a serious complication.
> Retinal detachment is the most dreaded and one of the most common
> complications of myopia, occurring with considerable frequency in all
> degrees of the defect but showing a progressively greater tendency,
> the higher the myopia.
> Simple glaucoma is a further complication of high myopia, occurring
> in the higher degrees after mid-life.
> THESE PROBLEMS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED
> Few of these people faced with the prospect of blindness in old age
> realize that their problems actually began in childhood when they were
> fitted with their first pair of corrective [negative] lenses by
> someone who was probably unconcerned about the tragic, long-term
> results of that action. Few of these people realize how their
> situation became more precarious each time their glasses were
> strengthened and nothing was said about prevention. Now, when it is
> too late for prevention, they find themselves in the hands of surgeons
> who are making their living from someone else's mistakes by trying to
> patch up steadily deteriorating retinas. The patient has become a
> lifelong victim of ignorance and exploitation.
> THE EYE CHANGES FROM A POSITIVE STATE TO A NEGATIVE STATE AS A RESULT
> OF CLOSE WORK
> The cause of myopia is further clearly indicated in a study of 1200
> Eskimos in Barrow, Alaska, published in the American Journal of
> Optometry in September, 1969, which showed that in one generation of
> the Eskimo population had moved from no myopia to approximately 65%
> myopia among the offspring, and that neither the grandparents nor
> parents over 40 had any myopia.
> Thus the first generation between grandparents and parents was similar
> in that myopia was nonexistent, but in the second generation between
> the parents and their children, suddenly myopia occurs in a
> surprisingly high number of children. As a matter of fact, of 53
> offspring who were in their early 20's, 88% had myopia. Such a sudden
> and great degree of change cannot readily be accounted for on the
> basis of heredity, especially when there has been no identifiable
> force which could have brought about this obviously considerable
> mutation in the genetic composition of the offspring.
> The obvious difference between the parents and the children is the
> amount of near work which is currently being done by the children.
> About the time of the second World War, the white man intruded into
> their lives, requiring the development of education among a population
> which was uneducated and illiterate. The Eskimo has become an avid
> reader because of his environment. While he spends a great deal of
> time out-of-doors in the warmer, daylight summer months, he spends
> relatively little time out- of-doors in the cold, dark winter months.
> A MASSIVE BODY OF EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE EYE CHANGES ITS FOCAL STATE
> TO MATCH ITS VISUAL ENVIRONMENT
> In presenting these studies, I would emphasize that these represent
> only a small (even if spectacular) part of the evidence available
> today which demonstrates the blindness and suffering caused by present-
> day eye care. While continuing to ignore a massive body of evidence,
> the eye care professions continue to ask to be shown proof that myopia
> results from excessive close work and that the prescription of
> corrective lenses causes the myopia to increase more rapidly that it
> otherwise should. It is assumed from the start that the burden of
> proof is on us and that we are expected to raise money and conduct
> endless studies that will somehow convince everyone that we are right.
> In many cases, this is like trying to convince a tobacco company
> executive that smoking causes lung cancer. No amount of testing will
> convince those people who prefer to believe what pleases them most or
> what is more lucrative to them. . . .
> [Dr. Brumer reviewed an exchange of letters with a Dr. Lender (a
> university optometrist) concerning disagreement about the fundamental
> behavior characteristic of the eye under experimental test
> conditions.]
> . . . These letters represent a desperate attempt to cover up a tragic
> and horrible situation. They mislead the public and, significantly,
> the parliament of my country. They have been unsuccessful in their
> purpose, however, and the question now lies on notice in the
> parliament in Canberra to the Minister of Health for Dr. Klugman
> (opposition spokesman for health) asking him to appoint an inquiry
> into the matters I have raised.
> THE EYE PROFESSION RESISTS CHANGE -- TO YOUR DETRIMENT
> The eye care professions have resisted change irrationally and
> fearfully, unwilling to admit that what has gone on before [the use of
> a negative lens] has been wrong and harmful, and by doing so they have
> unleashed on the public they serve a cataract of horror. This
> continued situation is a tragedy for the public and a disgrace for
> optometry. While it is understandable that optometrists will not find
> it easy to admit that what they have been doing is wrong and harmful,
> especially for those academic university optometrists responsible for
> the education of our graduates, to preserve the current horrors to
> protect our professional prestige and privilege is an abdication of
> our responsibilities, ethics and morality. I can make no apology for
> causing embarrassment to my professional colleagues. The interests of
> the public are paramount and must be served. The purpose of this paper
> is to direct the future to end the disgrace of the past.
> REMARKS ON DR. MAURICE BRUMER'S PAPER
> Dr. Brumer had previously been denied permission to present his paper
> at the August, 1977 Australian and New Zealand Association for the
> Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) Congress because it was too critical
> of the prevailing method of eye care. The above paper is of interest
> because of Dr. ...
> read more »

> And of course, a good topic would be the habit
> of over-prescribing a child by -4 diopters.

> And how to handle the mother who "complains"
> after the -4 diopter over-prescription is detected.

> And after the symposium, over wine and cheese,
> we could review the following topics
> suggested by Mr. Rehm:
> THE SCHOOLS OF OPTOMETRY AND OPHTHALMOLOGY
> which create the ill-educated "experts" who are turned loose on a
> trusting and unsuspecting public. These schools accept a steady stream
> of money from the optical industry in the form of "research" grants
> and other contributions, thus insuring that they will do nothing to
> upset their benefactors.
> As only one example of how the optical industry uses its money to keep
> the optometric schools under its control, visit the official website
> of the Schools of Optometry at opted.org and click on Corporate
> Contributors. Note that even Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer,
> adds its contribution. The deans of these schools, as well as the
> heads of ophthalmology departments at medical schools, may as well be
> on the payroll of the optical industry. ALL of the deans at the 17
> optometric schools have refused to answer our request for a dialog on
> myopia prevention.
> PERPETUAL RESEARCHERS
> who spend their lives applying for research grants and producing
> worthless research results in order to further their careers. They
> have no interest in solving the myopia tragedy because then the
> research money would dry up.
> Although methods to prevent myopia are already known, they always
> claim, "More research is needed."
> Examples of this mindless research mania can be found on sites by
> Karla Zadnik at the Ohio State University College of Optometry and
> Christine Wildsoet at the University of California at Berkeley School
> of Optometry.
> Somehow it never occurs to these people to merely put a strong plus
> lens on children for all close work, to totally eliminate focusing
> effort. Every year, such people meet at an International Myopia
> Conference to present their totally irrelevant, self-glorifying
> research.
> Look at the nonsensical research topics covered at the 3-day
> International Myopia Conference in Singapore in August, 2006. While
> they play their games, the vision of the world's children continues to
> be destroyed.
> EYE "CARE" ORGANIZATIONS
> such as Prevent Blindness America, American Optometric Assn., American
> Academy of Ophthalmology, Intl. Council of Ophthalmology, etc. They
> disseminate vision "information" to the public but are dominated by
> eye doctors and financed by the optical industry. They perpetuate the
> myth of inherited myopia and deny the dangers of minus lenses.
> OUR SCHOOLS
> which teach our children to read but take no interest in ways to
> prevent this from destroying their vision. In the words of one Florida
> school district, "Currently, we partner with Lens Crafters, Prevent
> Blindness and The Lions Club. These groups are very generous in
> proving optometrical services as well as glasses to students who
> either failed their vision examination or demonstrate visual
> problems." The optical industry clearly has gotten its money and its
> viewpoint into our schools, insuring that they will not tell parents
> the truth. This makes the schools part of the conspiracy. For more on
> what schools should be telling parents and students, see
> preventmyopia.org/schoolprogram.
> THE MEDIA
> which never mention the subject of myopia prevention. Their only
> interest is pleasing their advertisers and making maximum profits. If
> they had any concern for the people of the world, they could expose
> and end this tragedy almost overnight.
> The common link between these people is not science or compassion, but
> GREED. With such a formidable group telling the same lies to the
> public, where can anyone find the truth? On this website, of course,
> with over 60 pages of information you won't get from any eye doctor.
> For these groups to join forces to create hundreds of millions of
> crippled children is as despicable an act as most of us will encounter
> in our lifetimes. They are truly an "Axis of Evil." Everything on this
> website is true. You don't believe this? You don't WANT to believe it?
> Read further and judge for yourself
> =============
> Jeeze, I wonder if these people at Yale would have the
> guts to invite Mr. Rehm to speak?
> Or present a paper?
> What are the odds of that happening?
> I guess Rehm does not get invited to the wine and
> cheese reception after all.
> On Jul 4, 9:38 pm, "otisbr...[at]pa.net" <otisbr...[at]pa.net> wrote:
> > But of course, these people will ALWAYS EXCLUDE
> > anything that causes them "discomfort".
> > After all, when Dr. Bates complained that his SUGGESTED
> > methods of vision-clearing were wise, they IGNORED
> > his suggestions and FIRED HIS ASS.
> > I have no doubt that he would receive the same reaction
> > today.
> > Here is some review by Don Rehm.
> > It would be nice if Mr. Rehm were invited to present
> > his concept of PREVENTION.
> > ++++++++++
> > THE INTERNATIONAL MYOPIA PREVENTION ASSOCIATION
> > From, "THE MYOPIA MYTH", by Donald Rehm
> > In 1974 Donald Rehm established an organization to help parents
> > understand and take steps to help their children avoid myopia. He
> > prepared a book that clarifies the various preventive methods
> > available for myopia -- and the reaction of most of the profession to
> > his efforts. Donald describes his effort to persuade the profession to
> > provide you with exact knowledge of the eye so that you might capably
> > choose between these mutually exclusive alternatives.
> > . . . Since the organizations in the eye care field were telling the
> > public nothing about the true cause of myopia, the idea of forming an
> > organization devoted solely to myopia began to seem more and more
> > necessary. The final decision about forming a myopia prevention
> > organization was made at the 1974 Annual Congress of the American
> > Optometric Association in Washington, D. C.
> > An important part of such meetings takes place on a large floor where
> > booths can be rented to exhibit optical goods, hand out literature,
> > etc. I rented a booth to give out literature on the latest research on
> > myopia and ways of preventing it. I found that the booth was for the
> > most part ignored by most of the optometrists, although an adjoining
> > booth, where the tinting of eyeglasses was being demonstrated, was
> > usually crowded.
> > It was obvious that the people to whom we must go with our vision
> > problems were more interested in tinting lenses than in saving sight.
> > They were ignoring everything that had to do with myopia prevention.
> > It was quite clear that pleading with the members of the eye care
> > professions to change their ways was not going to succeed. They would
> > have to be forced to change, and this would occur only after the
> > public was well informed about the real causes and solutions to the
> > problem of myopia.
> > In 1974, I therefore formed a nonprofit, tax-exempt Pennsylvania
> > corporation, the International Myopia Prevention Association. One of
> > the first tasks I undertook was the publication of a twelve page
> > booklet, The Prevention of Acquired Myopia. This booklet, which was
> > meant for distribution to the public, contained information on the
> > real cause of myopia and what methods were available to prevent it. No
> > booklet of this type had ever been published previously. In the
> > booklet, I also stated the aims of the new organization:
> > To work for the widespread acceptance of the concept, now supported by
> > numerous studies and research, that acquired myopia is caused by
> > excessive close work and is not an inherited condition.
> > To inform the public, in an impartial manner, about the various
> > methods available for preventing and controlling myopia.
> > To promote periodic testing of the vision of children so that the
> > potential and beginning myopes can be found early when treatment is
> > most effective.
> > To promote the use of proper reading habits and adequate lighting in
> > schools, homes and offices.
> > To maintain a register of eye care practitioners who are interested in
> > myopia prevention and skilled in its techniques. *
> > To assist the public in coming into contact with these practitioners.
> > *
> > To issue a periodic publication to provide a summary of activities and
> > new knowledge in this field.
> > To maintain an advisory board of scientists, researchers, educators,
> > optometrists and ophthalmologists who are involved with the myopia
> > problem and can advise on the activities of the association.
> > To solicit contributions to carry on educational and scientific
> > activities related to myopia prevention." *
> > As the formation of IMPA was announced in various optometric journals
> > (it was ignored by the medical journals), I began to receive letters
> > from doctors around the country expressing their interest in the new
> > organization. The response was greater than I had anticipated and
> > indicated clearly that there did exist an unfilled need for leadership
> > in the area. . .
> > * In a later publication Donald Rehm sadly concluded, "We no longer
> > try to maintain a list of prevention minded eye doctors since there
> > are so few of them."
> > On Jul 4, 9:33 pm, "otisbr...[at]pa.net" <otisbr...[at]pa.net> wrote:
> > > For your information:
> > > In fact papers have been submitted -- AND REJECTED -- concerning
> > > the second-opinion, that a negative refractive STATE of
> > > the fundamental eye can be prevented.
> > > Dr. Maurice Brumer did exactly that, but since his
> > > concept was HATED, his analysis was rejected.
> > > Here is part of his review. I doubt that these people
> > > have the GUTS to begin a discussion along these
> > > lines.
> > > Been there -- done that.
> > > +++++++++
> > > A COURAGEOUS EYE DOCTOR DOCUMENTS THE SECONDARY EFFECT OF USING A
> > > NEGATIVE LENS
> > > EYESTRAIN - ITS CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND TREATMENT
> > > By Dr. Maurice Brumer, Frankston, 3199, Australia
> > > . . . A succession of practicing optometrists have followed Fournet [a
> > > pioneer in the use of the plus lens] to this day, all convinced of
> > > this major shortcoming [use of a negative lens] in eye care. They have
> > > all been successfully ignored or treated as cranks and heretics,
> ...
> read more »- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -

> But of course, these people will ALWAYS EXCLUDE
> anything that causes them "discomfort".
> After all, when Dr. Bates complained that his SUGGESTED
> methods of vision-clearing were wise, they IGNORED
> his suggestions and FIRED HIS ASS.
> I have no doubt that he would receive the same reaction
> today.
> Here is some review by Don Rehm.
> It would be nice if Mr. Rehm were invited to present
> his concept of PREVENTION.
> ++++++++++
> THE INTERNATIONAL MYOPIA PREVENTION ASSOCIATION
> From, "THE MYOPIA MYTH", by Donald Rehm
> In 1974 Donald Rehm established an organization to help parents
> understand and take steps to help their children avoid myopia. He
> prepared a book that clarifies the various preventive methods
> available for myopia -- and the reaction of most of the profession to
> his efforts. Donald describes his effort to persuade the profession to
> provide you with exact knowledge of the eye so that you might capably
> choose between these mutually exclusive alternatives.
> . . . Since the organizations in the eye care field were telling the
> public nothing about the true cause of myopia, the idea of forming an
> organization devoted solely to myopia began to seem more and more
> necessary. The final decision about forming a myopia prevention
> organization was made at the 1974 Annual Congress of the American
> Optometric Association in Washington, D. C.
> An important part of such meetings takes place on a large floor where
> booths can be rented to exhibit optical goods, hand out literature,
> etc. I rented a booth to give out literature on the latest research on
> myopia and ways of preventing it. I found that the booth was for the
> most part ignored by most of the optometrists, although an adjoining
> booth, where the tinting of eyeglasses was being demonstrated, was
> usually crowded.
> It was obvious that the people to whom we must go with our vision
> problems were more interested in tinting lenses than in saving sight.
> They were ignoring everything that had to do with myopia prevention.
> It was quite clear that pleading with the members of the eye care
> professions to change their ways was not going to succeed. They would
> have to be forced to change, and this would occur only after the
> public was well informed about the real causes and solutions to the
> problem of myopia.
> In 1974, I therefore formed a nonprofit, tax-exempt Pennsylvania
> corporation, the International Myopia Prevention Association. One of
> the first tasks I undertook was the publication of a twelve page
> booklet, The Prevention of Acquired Myopia. This booklet, which was
> meant for distribution to the public, contained information on the
> real cause of myopia and what methods were available to prevent it. No
> booklet of this type had ever been published previously. In the
> booklet, I also stated the aims of the new organization:
> To work for the widespread acceptance of the concept, now supported by
> numerous studies and research, that acquired myopia is caused by
> excessive close work and is not an inherited condition.
> To inform the public, in an impartial manner, about the various
> methods available for preventing and controlling myopia.
> To promote periodic testing of the vision of children so that the
> potential and beginning myopes can be found early when treatment is
> most effective.
> To promote the use of proper reading habits and adequate lighting in
> schools, homes and offices.
> To maintain a register of eye care practitioners who are interested in
> myopia prevention and skilled in its techniques. *
> To assist the public in coming into contact with these practitioners.
> *
> To issue a periodic publication to provide a summary of activities and
> new knowledge in this field.
> To maintain an advisory board of scientists, researchers, educators,
> optometrists and ophthalmologists who are involved with the myopia
> problem and can advise on the activities of the association.
> To solicit contributions to carry on educational and scientific
> activities related to myopia prevention." *
> As the formation of IMPA was announced in various optometric journals
> (it was ignored by the medical journals), I began to receive letters
> from doctors around the country expressing their interest in the new
> organization. The response was greater than I had anticipated and
> indicated clearly that there did exist an unfilled need for leadership
> in the area. . .
> * In a later publication Donald Rehm sadly concluded, "We no longer
> try to maintain a list of prevention minded eye doctors since there
> are so few of them."
> On Jul 4, 9:33 pm, "otisbr...[at]pa.net" <otisbr...[at]pa.net> wrote:
> > For your information:
> > In fact papers have been submitted -- AND REJECTED -- concerning
> > the second-opinion, that a negative refractive STATE of
> > the fundamental eye can be prevented.
> > Dr. Maurice Brumer did exactly that, but since his
> > concept was HATED, his analysis was rejected.
> > Here is part of his review. I doubt that these people
> > have the GUTS to begin a discussion along these
> > lines.
> > Been there -- done that.
> > +++++++++
> > A COURAGEOUS EYE DOCTOR DOCUMENTS THE SECONDARY EFFECT OF USING A
> > NEGATIVE LENS
> > EYESTRAIN - ITS CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND TREATMENT
> > By Dr. Maurice Brumer, Frankston, 3199, Australia
> > . . . A succession of practicing optometrists have followed Fournet [a
> > pioneer in the use of the plus lens] to this day, all convinced of
> > this major shortcoming [use of a negative lens] in eye care. They have
> > all been successfully ignored or treated as cranks and heretics, and
> > the issue has remained at this level for 90 years. The clarion cry of
> > the eye care professions has been "show us proof of the relationship
> > of eyestrain and eye disease". I will now demonstrate that no shortage
> > of this proof exists.
> > At the 1973 annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry, a
> > paper entitled, "Bifocal Control of Myopia", was presented by Francis
> > Young, Director of the Primate Research Center at Washington State
> > University, and Kenneth Oakley, an ophthalmologist from Bend, Oregon.
> > Their study found that the effects of properly fitted bifocals (eye
> > strain reducing glasses) on young myopes are to drop the rate of
> > progression of this condition from an average of about one half a
> > diopter per year to about on fortieth of a diopter per year. This
> > study involved control and experimental subjects who were matched for
> > age, sex, initial refractive error and duration of wearing bifocals so
> > that most of the possible causes of failure to achieve results with
> > bifocals were controlled.
> > THE BIFOCAL (PLUS LENS) STUDY
> > There was a significant number of subjects, 226 in the bifocal group
> > and 192 in the control group, to assure that the results were
> > consistent and effective over time. The effect of the bifocal was
> > uniformly to reduce the rate of progression even in children who had
> > already achieved as much as 4 or 5 diopters of myopia before they were
> > fitted with bifocals. In other words, the control group moved into
> > myopia at a rate 20 times faster than the bifocal (plus lens) group.
> > The implications of such results are obvious and sinister when it is
> > considered that myopia is the third largest cause of blindness in
> > western society.
> > SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS DEVELOP FROM USING A MINUS LENS
> > The visual disability in high myopia is usually considerable. I am
> > including this description of the condition as felt by its victims so
> > that you may put yourself in their situation:
> > Apart from the visual incapacity, the high myope is not usually
> > comfortable in the use of his eyes. When corrected, the small, sharply
> > defined and bright images are annoying; much use of the eyes brings
> > about a feeling of strain and fatigue. The degenerated and liquefied
> > vitreous gives rise to a multitude of "muscae volitantes" and floating
> > opacities, and these, throwing abnormally large images upon the retina
> > owing to its backward displacement, cause a great deal of distress and
> > anxiety to the patient although their actual significance is small.
> > Most of these patients are naturally anxious. Their disability is
> > obvious and may have excited sympathy. The memory of admonitions to
> > care for the eyes lingers into adult life. Thus matters tend to
> > progress slowly and relentlessly, the patient all the while never
> > using his eyes with comfort or without anxiety until finally no useful
> > vision may remain or until the occurrence of a sudden calamity such as
> > a gross macular lesion, a hemorrhage of a retinal detachment brings
> > about a more dramatic crisis. (I thank Sir Stewart Duke-Elder for this
> > description).
> > The complications of myopia are numerous and grave, frequently
> > resulting in blindness. The degenerative changes appear typically in
> > adult life after the myopia has been fully established for some
> > years.
> > The complications are:
> > Choroidal thrombosis and hemorrhage.
> > Vitreous opacity, always present in some degree in high myopia, this
> > condition may suddenly increase to become a serious complication.
> > Retinal detachment is the most dreaded and one of the most common
> > complications of myopia, occurring with considerable frequency in all
> > degrees of the defect but showing a progressively greater tendency,
> > the higher the myopia.
> > Simple glaucoma is a further complication of high myopia, occurring
> > in the higher degrees after mid-life.
> > THESE PROBLEMS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED
> > Few of these people faced with the prospect of blindness in old age
> > realize that their problems actually began in childhood when they were
> > fitted with their first pair of corrective [negative] lenses by
> > someone who was probably unconcerned about the tragic, long-term
> > results of that action. Few of these people realize how their
> > situation became more precarious each time their glasses were
> > strengthened and nothing was said about prevention. Now, when it is
> > too late for prevention, they find themselves in the hands of surgeons
> > who are making their
> ...
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> And of course, a good topic would be the habit
> of over-prescribing a child by -4 diopters.
> And how to handle the mother who "complains"
> after the -4 diopter over-prescription is detected.
> Well that is easy, just tell her:
> 1. She had a muscle spasm.
> 2. She will get "used to it".
> 3. Etc.
> But you asked for confirmation for this
> poor child. So here it is.
> Let this symposium discuss this topic -- by
> second-opinion ODs.
> ++++++++++
> COMMENTARY FROM A CONCERNED MOTHER ABOUT THE NEED TO DO YOUR OWN
> CHECKING WITH AN EYE CHART
> AN EXCESSIVELY STRONG PRESCRIPTION?
> HOW OFTEN DOES THIS HAPPEN, AND WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM EFFECT AND
> CONSEQUENCE?
> I have retyped this letter from the original and changed the names.
> Jeanie's daughter started out (at age six) with 20/50. She received a
> strong minus lens -- even though 20/50 is acceptable for most
> children. After years of receiving minus lenses stronger than
> necessary, she received a lens increase from -6.0 to -10.0 diopters.
> Jeanie's suspicion and response is described in the following
> paragraphs.
> JEANIE BRAVE'S LETTER:
> Here are copies of my daughter's eye records and
> prescriptions. You will never know how grateful I am for you and
> Mr. Severson. When I stop and think of what could have happened
> to Shanna had I not found you -- my blood starts to boil. I have
> come to realize that people never question eye doctors as they do
> medical doctors. We are all at their mercy and do not even know
> it. You have my permission to give my telephone number to anyone
> who you feel needs it.
> A CHECK-UP BEFORE SCHOOL
> Shanna received the new contacts on August 5. She puts in
> -10.0 Diopter and is able to see -- she says one mile down the
> road. I immediately told her to take them out. After begging my
> optometrist to please give me information to stabilize her vision,
> he becomes EXTREMELY UPSET.
> I then went to the libraries and book
> stores looking for information but I found only William Bates'
> name. I then ordered his book. Next I found Mr. Severson and
> finally you in the back of his book. After reading your books I
> immediately knew I had the wrong optometrist -- so I nicely asked
> his assistance in obtaining a -6 Diopter lens for studying.
> The doctor reluctantly gave them to Shanna, telling us to use them for
> STUDYING ONLY. I then confirmed the focal status of Shanna's
> eye's, by assisting her in checking her vision against the eye
> chart -- both inside and outside.
> 8/26/95 20/20 -8.0 RE -7.5 LE
> 8/26/95 20/100 -6.0 RE -6.0 LE (Provided for reading)
> 8/31/95 20/40 -6.0 RE -6.0 LE
> 9/26/95 20/20 -6.0 RE -6.0 LE (See the -10.0 D prescription below)
> Since she was seeing so well on 9/26/95, I told her to remove
> her contacts and then come back outside. Without ANYTHING on she
> stood 20 feet away and could focus on the 20/70 and 20/50 line for
> about 2 or 3 seconds -- then she said it would flash or float
> away.
> On Jul 4, 3:09 pm, Jennifer Staple <Jennifer.Sta...[at]aya.yale.edu> wrote:
> > Please Forward Widely
> > Unite For Sight Fifth Annual International Health & Eye Care
> > Conference
> > Building Global Health For Today and Tomorrow
> > April 12-13, 2008
> > Yale University, New Haven, Connecticuthttp://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008
> > Join 2,000 conference attendees and 130 speakers for a stimulating
> > conference.
> > Keynote Addresses By: Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Dr. Sonia Sachs, Dr. Susan
> > Blumenthal, and Dr. Jim Yong Kim
> > Plus More Than 130 Featured Speakers
> > Call For Abstracts - DEADLINE JULY 15, 2007 -http://uniteforsight.org/conference/2008/abstracts.php
> > Register For Conference - EARLY BIRD RATE ($45 Students, $70 All
> > Others) http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008REGISTERBY JULY
> > 15th TO SECURE LOWEST RATE
> > Who should attend? Anyone interested in eye care, international
> > health, public health, international development, medicine, social
> > entrepreneurship, nonprofits, philanthropy, microfinance, bioethics,
> > anthropology, health policy, advocacy, and public service.
> > *Keynote Addresses*
> > * Susan Blumenthal, MD, MPA, Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon
> > General; Senior Advisor For Health and Medicine; Former Deputy
> > Assistant Secretary for Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and
> > Human Services; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown School
> > of Medicine and Tufts University Medical Center
> > * Jim Yong Kim, MD, PhD, Co-Founder, Partners in Health; Director,
> > François Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights; François
> > Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Health and Human Rights, Harvard School of
> > Public Health; Chair, Department of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical
> > School; Chief of the Division of Social Medicine and Health
> > Inequalities, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Former HIV/AIDS Director
> > at World Health Organization
> > * Jeffrey Sachs, PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia
> > University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor
> > of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor
> > to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
> > * Sonia Sachs, MD, MPH, Health Coordinator, Millennium Villages
> > *130 Featured Speakers (Listed Below Are The Speakers Confirmed Thus
> > Far)*
> > * Ted M. Alemayhu, Founder, Chairman and CEO, US Doctors For
> > Africa
> > * Greg Allgood, PhD, Director, Children's Safe Drinking Water,
> > Procter & Gamble
> > * R. Rand Allingham, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology; Director,
> > Glaucoma Service, Duke University Eye Center
> > * Jared Ament, MD, MPh, Clinical Research Fellow, Ophthalmolology
> > & Corneal Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard
> > Medical School; Harvard School of Public Health
> > * Jane Aronson, MD, Director, International Pediatric Health
> > Services; Founder and Executive Medical Director, Worldwide Orphans
> > Foundation (WWO); Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Weill
> > Medical College of Cornell University
> > * Thomas Baah, MD, MSc, Ophthalmologist, Our Lady of Grace
> > Hospital, Ghana
> > * Michele Barry, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine and Global Health
> > Director, Office of International Health; Chief, General Medicine
> > Firm, Yale University School of Medicine
> > * Georges Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health
> > Association
> > * Paul Berman, OD, FAAO, Senior Global Clinical Advisor and
> > Founder, Special Olympics Lions Clubs, International Opening Eyes
> > * Terry Blaschke, MD, Professor of Medicine and of Molecular
> > Pharmacology (Active Emeritus), Stanford University School of Medicine
> > * Neil Boothby, EdD, Professor of Clinical Population and Family
> > Health; Director, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Mailman
> > School of Public Health
> > * Harry S. Brown, MD, Founder, Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE)
> > International
> > * Donald Budenz, MD, MPH, Professor of Ophthalmology,
> > Epidemiology, and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of
> > Medicine
> > * Michael Cappello, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology
> > and Public Health; Director, Program in International Child Health; Co-
> > Director, International Adoption Clinic, Yale University School of
> > Medicine
> > * Emily Moore and Mark Carlson, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Sociology,
> > San Diego State University
> > * James Clarke, MD, Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, Crystal
> > Eye Clinic, Ghana
> > * Susan Day, MD, Chair and Program Director, Pediatric
> > Ophthalmology and Strabismus, California Pacific Medical Center
> > * Syril Dorairaj, MD, Clinical Research Fellow, Glaucoma
> > Associates of New York, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
> > * Margaret Duah-Mensah, Ophthalmic Nurse, Crystal Eye Clinic,
> > Ghana
> > * Andy Ellner, MD, Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative
> > * Sheri Fink, MD, PhD, Kaiser Media Fellow in Global Health;
> > Visiting Scientist, Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and
> > Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health; Senior Fellow, Harvard
> > Humanitarian Initiative
> > * Susan Hall Forster, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Department
> > of Medical Studies, Department of Ophthalmology, Yale School of
> > Medicine; Chief, Ophthalmology, Yale University Health Services
> > * David Friedman, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
> > and International Health, Johns Hopkins University
> > * Urick Gaillard, JD, Founder and Executive Director, The Batey
> > Relief Alliance
> > * Gabriel Garcia, MD, Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean of
> > Medical School Admissions, Stanford University School of Medicine
> > * Nora Groce, PhD, Associate Professor and Director, Yale/WHO
> > Collaborating Centre, Global Health Division, Yale School of Public
> > Health
> > * Michael Gyasi, MD, Ophthalmologist and Director of the Bawku Eye
> > Care Program, Ghana
> > * Heskel M. Haddad, MD, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, New
> > York Medical College
> > * Leon Herndon, MD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Duke
> > University Eye Center
> > * Ibrahim Jabr, Interim President, International Trachoma
> > Initiative
> > * Rosemary Janiszewski, MS, CHES, Deputy Director, Office of
> > Communication, Health Education and Public Liaison; Director, National
> > Eye Health Eucation Program, National Eye Institute (NEI), National
> > Institutes of Health
> > * Evaleen Jones, MD, Founder, President and Medical Director,
> > Child Family Health International; Clinical Assistant Professor,
> > Stanford University School of Medicine
> > * Dean Karlan, PhD, President and Founder of Innovations for
> > Poverty Action; Assistant Professor of Economics, Yale University
> > * Zachary Kaufman, MPhil in International Relations; DPhil
> > Candidate in International Relations, University of Oxford; JD
> > Candidate, Yale University Law School
> > * Kaveh Khoshnood, PhD, Assistant Professor in Public Health
> > Practice, Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School
> > of Public Health
> > * Doug Lawrence, Vice President/General
> ...
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