4. No. 9490-1906, undated

File — Box: 1, Folder: 5

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: This collection of S. D. Risley's professional papers, 18811913, consist of ophthalmological case records, 1886-1908, many from the Philadelphia Polyclinic and College for Graduates in Medicine; a surgeon's report of Wills Eye Hospital, 1901; manuscript and typescript versions of articles concerning ophthalmology, cataract and other eye diseases, and surgical instruments and treatments, 1881-1913; correspondence, reports, and related materials concerning eye examinations for school children, 1898-1904; miscellaneous correspondence, 1897-1908; illustrations and photographs, 1907 and undated; and miscellaneous printed materialsjconcerning Risley's professional affiliations with the American Ophthalmological Society and American Otological Society, 1900-1906.

Series 3, the bulk of the collection, contains Risley's manuscripts of his published writings; the series has several subdivisions. Series 3.1 is a list of Risley's reprints, [1913]. The manuscripts in Series 3.2 are numbered sequentially, 1-38 (some numbers refer to empty folders). A third section, Series 3.3, is organized alphabetically by title of article. There are also four small sections: abstracts and critiques of papers; lectures to students and course syllabi; speeches; and fragments of articles.

A second significant section of the Risley Papers concerns the eye examination of Philadelphia school children. With B. A. Randall, Risley mounted a large scale investigation into this concern in the 1880s. At the turn of the century, Risley became again active in this concern and worked closely with Dora Keen Handy (a daughter of William W. Keen), Corresponding Secretary of the Public Education Association of Philadelphia. Risley's work in this area resulted in the production of an eye examination test card for schools. Samples of the card, along with correspondence and related materials about this project are preserved in Series 4.