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Presentation of New Instruments and Appliances

This rule holds quite accurately for field strengths below the "saturation point" of the iron core. Iron is capable of only a limited magnetization, of the order of a few thousand gauss, and this is termed the saturation point. Beyond this intensity it does not contribute to the field of the electromagnet, and the proportionality rule fails. Application of greater than rated voltage-and hence amperage -to an electromagnet is limited, however, by its power to dissipate heat. Energy consumption is equal to the product of the resistance and the square of the current; doubling the applied voltage will increase the thermal output fourfold. For any ordinary magnet, however, doubling of the rated continuous duty voltage is permissible, providing it is applied intermittently. By utilizing 220-volt direct current, available now in most hospitals and clinics for deep x-ray therapy, current may be passed through the coil of an electromagnet up to 25 amperes resistance with corresponding increase in the magnetic field. The following experiment is illustrative: A smooth piece of tool steel weighing one gram, and measuring 1 x 2 x 4 mm., was placed on a piece of plate glass. With a Sweet magnet and cone tip the steel was moved 3 cm., using 2 amperes, 7 cm. at 5 amperes, 10 cm. at 10 amperes, and 12 cm. at 15 amperes. At the end of five minutes of intermittent use the magnet was not perceptibly warm.

A TEST FOR BINOCULAR VISION PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE EXAMINATION OF AMBLYOPIC CHILDREN (MODIFIED WORTH TEST)* DR. CONRAD BERENS, New York, N. Y.: Although the Worth four-dot test' and its other modifications2' I are practical for the study of binocular vision in adults at six meters and at 25 cm., these tests are confusing when applied to young children. Moreover, for certain amblyopic children and adults the test-objects are so small that perception may be interfered with both at six meters and at 25 cm. Many amblyopic patients can see only the 200-foot letter at six meters, and at the near point can see only six-meter type. For this reason the size of the test-objects has been increased, so that at six meters a 300-foot object (91.44 M.) is used and at the near point a 20-foot (six-meter type) object.
*

Aided by a grant from the Ophthalmological Foundation, Inc.

Fig. 1.-A test for binocular vision (modified Worth test) for use at six meters.

Fig. 2.-A test for binocular vision (modified Worth-Hardy test) for use at 25 cm.

Presentation of New Instruments and Appliances

407

To make the test more readily applicable to the examination of young children, characters have been selected that they usually can recognize. Instead of using four dots, which have been found to be confusing in some cases, the test consists of using three characters-an elephant, a sail boat, and a child with outstretched arms (figs. 1 and 2). The test is conducted in a manner similar to the Worth test, which naturally stimulated the development of this test. Method.-The upper aperture, outlining an elephant, transmits a red light; the lower figure of the sailboat, a green light, and that of the child, a white light. With a green glass before the left eye and a red glass before the right eye, if the patient sees only the red elephant above, and the child appears to be reddish white, the patient is using only his right eye. However, if he sees three objects,-one red, one green, and the child below, which may become reddish white, greenish white, or gray,-both eyes are being used and he at least has first grade binocular vision. If he is using only his left eye, he will see a green sailboat and a green child. If he sees a green sailboat, a red elephant, and a red and a green child, diplopia is present. Advantages.-The advantages of the test are that- (1) the objects are large enough so that the majority of amblyopic patients will not be handicapped by their low visual acuity; (2) the characters used are recognized by children of from three to three and one-half years of age, and (3) for young children it seems to be less confusing than the Worth four-dot test or its recent modifications.2 3
REFERENCES 1. Worth, C.: Squint, Its Causes, Pathology and Treatment, 5 ed., London, 1921, p. 14. 2. Hardy, L. H.: Tr. Am. Acad. Ophth. & Otolaryng. 42: 491, 1937. 3. Berens, C.: Am. J. Ophth., 1939 (to be published).

A TEST FOR HETEROPHORIA* DR. CONRAD BERENS, New York, N. Y.: A modified Maddox rod made of thermoplastic material was described in 1937.t The rod, which consisted of a single half of a cylinder 40 mm. in length by 22 mm. in diameter, was made both with and without prisms.
*

Aided by a grant from the Ophthalmological Foundation, Inc.

t Berens, C.: Tr. Am. Acad. Ophth. & Otolaryng. 42: 487, 1937.

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