| Description | This Lister-Morton Ophthalmoscope, made by Theodore Hamblin Limited, is housed in a black faux leather-covered case with a secure brass locking mechanism. The inside of the lid is lined with blue silk and features gold lettering that reads "Theodore Hamblin Limited London W.1". Attached to the lid is a small wooden brush, secured in place, likely intended for cleaning the lenses or other delicate parts of the instrument.
The case is designed with compartments to hold the various components of the ophthalmoscope. The handle, which contains the battery to power the lamp, can be attached to the ophthalmoscope head. This includes the light source and two rotating lens discs for selecting different focal strengths, a mirror, and an on/off switch mechanism. It also bears in white ink "Theodore Hamblin Ltd" and "495/4440" engraved. The case also secures one of the two lamps of the set. The set is completed by a white paper flyer with the instructions in red ink:
"IMPORTANT - SPARE LAMPS. The lamps supplied for Hamblin's Ophthalmoscopes have been designed to be optically correct for the instruments. Each lamp is checked before issue. Theodore Hamblin, Ltd., cannot hold themselves responsible for the proper functioning of one of their Ophthalmoscopes in which an incorrect lamp is used. The LISTER-MORTON Ophthalmoscope is provided with two different types of lamp. The 'gilt' type allows the filament to be focused on the retina, but has the slight disadvantage that, when used for general examination of the fundus, a small shadow of the mirror aperture is seen in the field. The other type of lamp, finished in nickel, does not allow for the focusing of the filament but eliminates this shadow. New instruments are invariably sent out fitted with the general-purpose 'nickel' lamp. For use in retinoscopy, the 'gilt' lamp must be employed. When ordering spare lamps, kindly state which pattern is required.
THEODORE HAMBLIN, LTD."
The instrument is named after the oophtalmologist A. Standford Morton and Sir William Tindall Lister and it was donated by Prof. FitzGerald. |