Vision 2020 and the role of Optometry Practise in Nigeria- episode 5

Optom
Am sorry esteemed readers for the delay...something came up that changed my activities. Lets go into the day's doing the talk.
Talking of Decree No 34 of 1989 that professionalized Nigerian Optometrists i will like to run a historical view of what led to all these.
We can gain insight of the larger picture in that decree looking into the origin of Optometric science. What is the origin of Optometric science?
a) From Optics, this can be dated back to some thousand years BC. In BC 434, Aristophanes, an ancient Greek author was said to have wrote something on burning glasses probably used for its decorative purposes. Another Greek Scientist, a mathematician named Euclid in above BC 280 wrote about path of light travel, the angle of incidence, angle of reflection and he introduced the concept of the visual cone equivalent to the concept of visual angle. Claudius Ptolemy measured the angle of incidence, angle of reflection but failed to discover the exact mathematical formula. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) wrote books to describe the mathematics of lenses, prisms and mirrors. Sir Isaac Newton discovered dispersion of white light into component colors as observed in say, rainbow. Snell discovered the law of Refraction in 1621.
In 1872, Monoyer invented the term Diopter.
b) From knowledge of Image formation by the Eye. Back in c.450 BC, Empedocles proposed the extromission theory and visual ray. Leucippus, Democritus, postulated the theory of intromission, eidola. (This theory was proved by Alhazen [965c-1041 AD]). Aristotle, around the 4th century BC used mediumistic theory of image formation in the eye. With the knowledge of how images are formed in the eye came knowledge of enhancing powers of glasses,such led Opticians like Thomas Young measure Astigmatism, he was the first to measure Astigmatism in 1801, and with the aid of his dispensing Optician, Fuller, corrected with a spherocylinder (in 1827). McAllister, another refracting Optician, was the first to make and prescribe a planoconcave (minus cylinders) for Rev. Goodrich in 1828.
c) Sensory Physiology, this area of visual sciences involves interpretation of the sensory visual pathways and how binocularity, stereopsis and fusion in the intact eye. In ancient Greece visual illusion were discussed and given various supernatural versus scientific interpretations. Later, in 1611, Christopher Scheiner described the size of the images reflected from the cornea. He also described  the double aperture principle In 1613, a mathematician known as Aguillon, was the first to publish the first significant analysis of binocular vision. The first optometer, to measure vision, was invented by William Porterfield in mid 1700. It was also used to discover a relationship between accommodation and convergence. Thomas Young propounded trichomatic theory of color vision and discovered that the crystalline lens induces accommodation in the intact eye. Johannes Purkinje, a Czech physiologist, published books on sensory physiology between 1823 and 1826. Such phenomena like Purkinje images, Purkinje tree etc could attest to his works.
In 1838, Charles Wheatstone invented mirror stereoscope and used it to experiment on binocular vision and stereopsis. Between 1821-1894, Hermann von Helmholtz, a Physiologist and Physicist wrote a book on Physiological Optics and better known as the father of Physiological Optics.
One can now understand how Optometry developed from optics and how it has thrived through the medieval  era by the contributions from other sciences.
With such deeper knowledge in the eyes, especially in the relationship with visual health in general, some Optometrists became interested in treating some ocular infections and with that came the use of medicines to ameliorate the ocular conditions. It is also a known fact that that Optometrists are more dispersed and closer to the grassroots, especially in the rural areas. As primary eye care practitioners and the long wait to see the Ophthalmologists, including the well established fact that Optometrists are more knowledgeable in conditions of the eyes than general practitioners (G.P.), it became imperative for our earlier colleagues to venture into treating ocular diseases. Another area could be traced back to the smearing campaign Ophthalmologists carry around about Optometrists claiming that the later is not knowledgeable enough to handle eye cases completely.
Optometrists were first allowed to diagnose pathologies in Rhode Island (DPA law of 1971) and the first place and time when Optometrists were first allowed to treat ocular diseases was West Virginia in 1976 (TPA law of 1976).
I think Optometry has come of age, yes, despite all odds. The normal postulations of the decree, which seriously needs review, enabled us to be practicing on category 3 and category 4 based on world model for Optometric practice. This categories allow us both diagnosing an ocular problem and using medication to treat or manage ocular diseases as well as doing what we know best, i.e.,  using glasses to treat ocular abnormalities... This dexterity led to awarding of doctor titles, even before 1900. In 1889, the Philadelphia Optical College were the first to award Doctor of Optics (O.D.) and was upgraded to Doctor of Optometry (O.D). Around 1968 to 1970, Optometry developed into a six-year old program and hence the title of doctor stuck. In Nigeria, O.D. program was first introduced in Abia State University, Uturu and in 1987 the first set of Doctor of Optometry was graduated, hence the pressing for professionalism in the practise of Optometry in Nigeria and it came true through that decree no 34 of 1989. It should not be forgotten, 2 other Universities study Optometry. They include University of Benin and Evans Ewerem University Imo state...
To be continued...
Dr Ezebuiroh Okwudiri Victor.