General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

vision test lantern

Patents

N/A

General Description

wood (possibly including cork); metal (including brass) glass, synthetic, paper and fibre components.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

45.0 cm

Width

45.0 cm

Height

70.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Medical equipment

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Probably used c. late 1920s-1940s.

Canada

Part of a large collection of medical artifacts, archival material & trade literature transferred to CSTM in 2002, from the former History of Medicine Museum in Toronto, Ont.

Function

Freestanding, rotating illuminated eye chart used to measure quality of sight at various distances.

Technical

Portable, free-standing visual acuity test "chart" arranged on 6-sided rotating drum. Chart includes elements of Snellen, Tumbling E and Landolt C charts, as well as pictorial symbols [frequently used for testing young children and illiterate/non-English reading adults.]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

" [diagram]/ TO CHANGE LAMP/ Remove this face./ Take wires from/ binding posts A A./ Remove thumb-/ screw B and draw/ housing from shelf./ Remove thumb-screws C and pull/ lamp from housing./ Replace with spare lamp from top/ shelf and disconnect burned-out lamp." printed on paper card mounted inside opening in one of 6 panels [sides] in unit. Each panel marked "A" through "F" in upper left corner, above "1". Each panel displays 4 viewing areas: largest at top; 2 of roughly equal size in meid-scection, and single frame with picture symbols at bottom. UHN catalogue no. "989.5.6" printed by hand in white ink on one panel of base. "22" printed by hand in blue grease on one side of exch of 6 shutters. One panel also bears illegible handwritten text, in blue grease pencil. Unbleached paper label fixed to inside of electrical compartment door in base bears 2 diagrams and text: "[illegible] plug is to be inserted in 110v./ [illegible] provided at the base of/ hexagon [illegible]. This outlet is controlled/ by the wall-switch at the operator's table./ The voltage regulator supplied 6v./ which is diminished in steps by fixed/ resistances./ When the demonstration switch (D) is/ on [up] and the lead-wire is disconnected/ from all binding posts, turning on the/ main switch at the operator's table lights/ both upper and lower panels at level 22./ When demonstration swith is off (down)/ and lead-wire is tightened under binding-/ post No. 1, turning on main switch lights/ the bottom panel at level 10. / Tightening the lead-wire under the/ other binding-posts enables operator to/ switch on other panels and other levels/ as indicated in drawing at right./ M.G. 22". Paper tag tied inside cabinet bears handwritten text: reads" This potentiometer controls/ the brightness of all panels./ The voltage accross the lamps/ is determined by the wire/ which is calmpd in the/ binding post. To increase/ brightness, replace the wire/ by the colour which comes after it in the following sequence/ Brown. Black. Yellow. White. Red."

Missing

Appears complete (save minor fittings).

Finish

Matt black painted wooden stand and 6-sided tower; matt black painted metal shutters for viewing screens; white pained metal & glass (?) screens bear black text/graphics; black moulded synthetic knobs on tower top; light brown fabric covered cord & darker brown synthetic plug cover; black and red synthetic electrical connection posts and indicator lights. Cork(?) pads line panel identification covers. Interior: light and dark-brown woven fabric, silver metal, brown and balck synthetic components. Unbleached paper labels & tag. Brass hinges & clasp.

Decoration

N/A