ASTIGMATISM

GULLSTRAND, A. [ALLVAR].

Bidrag till astigmatismens teori. Afhandling som med tillstånd af karolinska institutets lärarekollegium för vinnande af medicine doktorgrad till offentlig granskning framställes. [i.e. Contribution to the theory of astigmatism).

Stockholm, Norstedt & Söner, 1890. 8vo. In the original printed wrappers. Offprint of "Nord. med. arkiv, 1890. band XXII, n:r 2". An extraordinarily fresh and clean copy, near mint. (2), 102, (1) pp + 1 plate.

Scarce offprint issue of Gullstrand's doctoral thesis on the astigmatism, a visual defect that leads to blurred vision. This is Gullstrand's first published work on optics (geometric and physiological) and even though self-taught he made many new discoveries on the physiological aspects of the eyes which eventually in 1910 made him a Nobel Laureate in Medicine: "for his work on the dioptrics of the eye""

"Allvar Gullstrand's greatest achievements lie in the field of ophthalmological optics, the study of the human eye as an optical system. This study engendered his interest in geometrical optics. He then drew the attention of the optical designers to several misconceptions and so made important contributions to this field as well.
Gullstrand started his work in ophthalmology with a paper on the astigmatism of the cornea. He became interested in the accommodation mechanism of the human eye and in an exact theory discussed the influence which the layers of the crystalline lens play. This was a difficult mathematical problem which had not been attacked in detail before. It led to the conception of a new and more accurate model of the human eye, a big step beyond Helmholtz. This is described in Gullstrand's masterly commentaries on the occasion of his reediting Helmholtz' Handbook of Physiological Optics. These commentaries contain by far the clearest and best description of all of Gullstrand's ideas on geometrical and physiological optics.
Gullstrand represents a scientist of very rigorous standards, and as such, he was highly respected by his peers for his intelligence and integrity. His advice was widely sought, even outside his special sphere of interest; among other honors, he was a member and late president of the Nobel Prize committee." (DSB)

Order-nr.: 46196