An Indian adventure: Derrick Vail's Shikarpur fragments.

S hortly after completing his residency training at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Derrick Vail, Jr, MD (1898-1973) (Figure 1), traveled to India to work at a missionary hospital and perfect his surgical skills. His father, Derrick Vail, Sr, MD (18641930) (Figure 2), also a highly respected ophthalmologist, accompanied him, as did their wives. Vail’s description of the expedition, which has not been published previously, gives an interesting perspective on eye care during the early years of the 20th century by a man who was to become one of the most influential ophthalmologists in the world.