An Interesting Reference to The Eye and Ophthalmology in Secret Societies

I just came upon this fascinating reference to the significance of the eye and ophthalmology and in Secret Societies; who knew?

The Copiale Cipher is a newly discovered and deciphered code that allows us to look into the customs of a German secret society. From the brief description of the ritual, it appears that the Oculist Order was obsessed with ophthalmology, the study and treatment of the eye. Interestingly enough, Knight claims that the symbol of many secret societies is the eye, which helps to explain the society’s fixation...

You can read the whole article, "Mysterious Cipher Cracked 300 Years Later" by Annie Vreeland (Vanderbilt University) on the Wonders and Marvels website by clicking here.

YET MORE from the Ball Collection

I present to you yet more images from the fantastic James Moores Ball collection, previously featured in a few (1, 2, 3) recent Morbid Anatomy posts.

The Ball Collection resides in the collection of the National Museum of Health and Medicine and were found on the museums' unofficial blog, "A Repository of Bottled Monsters." More information on the pieces and the collection to be found there.

Image information, from the top: Acc 19320: Spring conjunctivitis; Acc 19321: Marginal eczema pustule and Epithelioma involving both the cornea and conjunctiva; Acc 19322: Sarcoma of the iris and Syphilitic iritis; and Acc 19319: Recent scleritis

Yet MORE from the James Moores Ball Collection

More wonderful images from the National Museum of Health and Medicine's fantastic James Moores Ball Collection. All of these images are from a book called Miniatur-Abbildungen der wichtigsten Akiurgischen Operationen, by Dr. H. E. Fritze (1838).

More information here.

More From The James Moores Ball Collection, National Museum of Health and Medicine

I think I am in love with the James Moores Ball collection, held by the National Museum of Health and Medicine. This collection, slowly being revealed via the museum's unofficial blog A Repository for Bottled Monsters, just keeps getting better and better. I encourage you to click on the images above to view larger, more detailed versions. To view some other objects from this collection, visit this previous Morbid Anatomy post.

You can visit the source post here; you can also see photos of artifacts from the National Museum of Health and Medicine's collection in this post from earlier today.

Images, From the top:
1. Acc. 18874 Diseases of the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva. Colored plate II from Dr. von Ammon's book (vol. 1).
2. Acc. 18875 Diseases of the cornea. Colored plate III from Dr. von Ammon's book (vol. 1).
3. Acc. 18874 Diseases of the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva. Colored plate II from Dr. von 3.Ammon's book (vol. 1)