On a peculiar defect in the eye... With: On the figure of the earth. 2 offprints, both by Airy

Airy, George Biddell (1801-92). On a peculiar defect in the eye, and a mode of correcting it. Offprint from Trans. Cambridge Phil. Soc. [2], 5, [1]pp. London: J. Smith, 1825. Bound with: On the figure of the earth. Offprint from Philosophical Transactions [2], 31, [1]pp. London: W. Nicol, 1826. Together 2 items, 4to. Modern gray boards. Faint scattered foxing, otherwise fine. Bookplate of Jerry Donin.

Extremely rare First Separate Editions of both papers. Airy, Britain's Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881, was the first to devise a sphereocylindrical lens for correcting astigmatism, a condition from which he himself suffered in his left eye. Airy's method is still used today. "Astigmatism was not known until [Thomas] Young discovered it in his own eyes in 1801 and correction for it was not available until 1827 [sic] when Airy designed the first lens for correction of astigmatism" (Gorin, History of Ophthalmology, p. 41). Garrison-Morton.com 5847. Hirschberg 11-1a, pp. 198-201.