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The ever-increasing number of elderly persons has spawned a generation of geriatric specialists, who might be expected to be most attracted to this book. But internists, ophthalmologists, family practitioners, nurses, and health planners also may find interesting and valuable information in this little book.
This collection of 15 brief chapters suffers some disunity from its 17 authors. The epidemiologic material and the emphasis in general reflect conditions in the United Kingdom and the United States. Selected references are provided. Most of the illustrations are well done, but six of the figures in the 15 color plates are poor.
The editors appropriately point out how difficult it is to find satisfactory statistics for blindness and for prevalence of important eye disorders afflicting the elderly. The available data target macular disease, glaucoma, cataracts, myopic degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy as leading causes of blindness in the elderly. The term elderly is left vague