Maddox rod
 Catalogue Number: 554 Maddox rod Category: Equipment Sub-Category: Tests of binocular vision Time Period: 1900 to 1939 Description Of Item: Black metal disc 38 mm in diameter on which is mounted a clear glass single rod. The metal disc is mounted in a white metal ring with handle designed for insertion when needed in an ophthalmic trial frame. Historical Significance: Maddox devised this test to dissociate the eyes for the measurement of heterophoria in 1890. The glass cylinder is placed in front of one eye and distorts a point light source into a line so that the line cannot be fused with the point source of light. It was later developed to be a larger aperture with multiple grooves (cylinders) know also as the Maddox rod or sometimes as the Maddox groove, although this later development was due to Aiken in 1894.The test is usually administered with a red filter in one eye to enhance the dissociation and modern Maddox rods (grooves) are made with red glass. See books by Maddox Cat No 107. 206, 207, 504. Maddox was an English ophthalmologist (1863 - 1933) who importantly elucidated the nature of binocular fusion and the components of convergence. He invented the Maddox rod and the Maddox wing test, the cheiroscope and the V test for astigmatism. He was ophthalmic surgeon at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Bournemouth, and formerly Assistant Ophthalmic Surgeon in the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh and Syme Surgical Fellow at Edinburgh University. See Cat No 952 How Acquired: Donated by Alan Isaacs, honorary life member of the College Date Acquired: Jan 2008 Condition: Good Location: Archive room. West wall. Unit 5 Drawer 2 |