© 1999 Nature America Inc. • http://medicine.nature.

com
BOOK REVIEW

creatures to use ‘our’ kind of single cham- approach that the entire book takes. It
The Human Eye: bered cornea-based optical system, or that begins with an explanation of eye move-
Structure and Function there are five distinct types of compound
eyes. Aside from specialist reviews, this is
ments and why we have them, moves on
to a discussion of the causes and conse-
the best text-book treatment of eye evolu- quences of strabismus, then describes the
by Clyde W. Oyster tion that I know of. neural control and molecular mechanisms
Sinauer Associates, $84.95, 766 pp. The main text is divided, of muscular force produc-
ISBN 0-87893-645-9, 1999 somewhat arbitrarily, into tion. The chapter goes on to
“Ocular Systems” and “Ocular explain ocular muscle and
REVIEWED BY MICHAEL F. LAND Components”. The “Ocular nerve physiology, anatomy
School of Biological Sciences Systems” section describes the and development, and also
University of Sussex bony orbit, the eye muscles, includes historical and
Brighton, BN19QG the nerves, blood supply and methodological vignettes
United Kingdom lachrymal system, whereas covering the original detec-
the “Ocular Components” tion of ocular misalignment,
The intricacy and seeming perfection of section includes the cornea, and strabismus surgery. The
the eye, both as an object of anatomical anterior chamber, iris, ciliary other chapters follow a simi-
beauty and as a working machine, have body, lens, and four chapters lar multidisciplinary pattern.
worried and intrigued scientists, philoso- on retina. Each chapter is a skilful blend of I found this to be a comprehensive,
phers and zealots, especially during the anatomy and up-to-date physiology. The authoritative and entertaining book. As
© 1999 Nature America Inc. • http://medicine.nature.com

intellectual upheavals of the nineteenth book does not include color figures, pre- Oyster writes in the preface: “My sense of
century. For William Paley, such a mech- sumably to keep the price within students’ storytelling has prompted a leisurely pace
anism argued for a supreme designer; for budgets, but the illustrations are, with a with diversions, digressions, and some
Darwin, the eye was a test case for natural few exceptions, clear and well-designed. dawdling to admire the view.” A potential
selection; and for Helmholtz, it was a bril- The development of the eye is discussed problem for students with a ‘mission’ may
liant compromise — a flawed device to a in various ways. Chapter 1, “The forma- be that there is too much diversion
brass and glass instrument-maker, but a tion of the human eye,” focuses on overall here–not all of this book is needed to pass
structure nonetheless capable of resolving eye embryology, whereas most of the examinations! In a vignette on the nine-
at the limits that physics allow. In this other chapters have sections that explain teenth century polymath Helmholtz, Oys-
excellent new book on the eye, Clyde Oys- the ontogeny of the individual parts of the ter mentions that a student complained to
ter manages to preserve the sense of awe eye. The book ends with an epilogue the education ministry alleging that
experienced by our Victorian predeces- called “Time and change,” which does not Helmholtz’ lectures on anatomy were
sors, while at the same time providing a present a comforting account for those of “inadequate” because he insisted on dis-
solid treatise on eye anatomy and physi- us over 50 of the way accommodation, cussing physiology as well. Thus, not
ology that will certainly serve as a text for resolution and other functions change everyone will want the rounded education
those concerned with the function of the over a lifetime. Chapters also contain that this excellent book provides.
eye in health and disease. short, interesting, ‘boxed’ articles summa-
As Oyster points out, the eye has several
histories: “… an evolutionary history deal-
rizing key discoveries in eye research that
are related to the rest of the material in
Cardiology: the
ing with the emergence of our species and each chapter. These vignettes describe key Evolution of the
eyes over geological time, a developmen- figures and events in the elucidation of
tal history that unfolds over an individu- visual function — the box in Chapter 1 Science and the Art
al’s lifetime, and an intellectual history highlights the embryological studies of
extending back at least to the classical age Ida Mann, whereas the chapter on ocular by Richard Bing, editor
of Greece, that documents human efforts geometry includes an account of the first Rutgers University Press, $55, 368 pp.
to understand the eye.” Part of the charm demonstration of the eye’s inverted image ISBN: 081-35262-72, 1999
and, for me, the success of this book is the by Kepler and Scheiner. The nerves of eye
way that Oyster has permeated the solid and orbit are enlivened by Sherrington, REVIEWED BY GALEN S. WAGNER
subject matter with these three histories. and the chapter describing retinal func- Associate Professor, Division of Cardiology
The backbone of the book consists of the tion recapitulates the pioneering studies 2400 Pratt St
16 chapters on eye anatomy and physiol- of Schultze, Golgi and Cajal. Even eye Box 3636 Medical Center
ogy, but these are leavened by a variety of research specialists will learn something Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
devices to inform us of the eye’s evolu- new from these summaries — I had no Email:wagne004@mc.duke.edu
tion, development and intellectual his- idea that the eye muscles were first prop-
tory. The book begins with a 53-page pro- erly described by Fallopius (of tube fame) It was a pleasure to read the second edi-
log called “A brief history of eyes”, which and Eustacius (of different tube fame), or tion of Richard Bing’s book Cardiology:
describes the optical systems of at least ten that the Zonule of Zinn (suspensory liga- the Evolution of the Science and the Art. I
different animals in an evolutionary con- ment of the lens) was described by an ex- did not read the first edition, so all of the
text. It will be news to most optometry botanical illustrator who also gave his contents were new to me. There were
students that the eyes of scallops and name to the flower, the Zinnia. several essential elements that made this
shrimps use mirrors rather than lenses, The chapter on the extraocular muscles experience enjoyable for me.
that spiders are almost the only other is an excellent example of the unique Although many authors contributed

NATURE MEDICINE • VOLUME 5 • NUMBER 11 • NOVEMBER 1999 1229