The influence of age on the chronatic aberration of the eye.

The axial chromatic aberration of the eye was measured in 58 persons varying from 10 to 80 years of age. It was found that the chromatic aberration diminished significantly after the onset of presbyopia. It is suggested that this decrease in axial chromatic aberration may be due to increase in the index of refraction of the vitreous thereby producing a negative optical surface in the eye which more or less cancels the chromatic aberration of the cornea and anterior surface of the lens. This supposition is supported by measurements of chromatic aberration made on 10 aphakic patients. It is also observed that at near, older eyes who exhibit very little chromatic aberration, cannot make use of this aberration to spare some of the required accommodation (simulated by ophthalmic lenses in older eyes) as is the case in younger eyes.