Ophthalmology in the United States at the time of the revolution

At the time of the American Revolution, understanding of diseases of the eye was rudimentary, treatment of ocular problems was largely ineffective, and American physicians were highly dependent on their European colleagues for training and development. Knowledge of optics, light and color was somewhat more advanced. The author reviews the state of eye care during the Revolutionary period, historically and anecdotally, with references to the literature of that time.