[Development of perimetry since antiquity].

Even in greeque medicine the visual field has been described and recognized. Besides the visual acuity, references are given on early observations of the visual field and its defects. Ptolemaeus (87-165 n. Chr.) first mentioned a method to test the visual field and also gave some physical definitions. Further developments are described in detail. From this oldest method it was a long way to develop techniques for measurement and quantification which could be used in clinical practice. There was an amazing high number of different inventions and parallel developments of methods testing the visual field in the last century.