Catalogue Number: 219 Manual of the diseases of the eye Category: Book Sub-Category: Book of historical note Author: Charles Henry MAY Year Of Publication/Manufacture: 1907 Edition: 5th Edition Time Period: 1900 to 1939 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: New York Publisher/Manufacturer: William Wood and Co Description Of Item: Original cloth cover, 391 pages, 362 illustrations including 22 plates with 62 colour figures. Ownership stamp on front flyleaf reading 'Harold Ternes' a Melbourne optometrist through to the early decades of the 20thC Historical Significance: Dr. May was a US ophthalmologist. At age 39, in 1900, he introduced a new double disc ophthalmoscope known as the May ophthalmoscope (For examples see Cat Nos 1185 to 1188, 1338, 1441) and had published the first ediiton of this book. It was written for medical students and general practitioners and for many years almost every medical student had a copy. By 1917 there had been 18 printings of the first 8 U.S. editions and the ninth edition had arrived. The book had been translated into seven different languages and a British edition had been supervised by Mr. Claud Worth. May died in 1943 at which time the book had 18 U.S. editions and had been translated into 10 languages. The book continued as 'May's Manual' for another 30 years under the authorship first of Dr. Charles Perera and then Dr. James H. Allen. The last edition, the 24th, was published in 1974. Condition: Good Location: Nathan Library. Aitken collection |