- Email: [email protected]
Dr. Van Heuven Replies
744
CORRESPONDENCE
and a man of attractive personality. Dr. Török was a native of Hungary, where he was graduated from the University of Buda pest and received his doctor's degree in 1899. He obtained his preliminary education in ophthalmology at the University Clinic of Schulek in Budapest. After several years of postgraduate training with Grosz and Blaskovics in Budapest and with Hirschberg in Berlin, he arrived in the United States, in 1905, with a letter of introduction to Dr. Herman Knapp. He then became resident and a member of the staff at the New York Ophthalmic and Aural Institute where he inaugurated a tuberculin clinic and was one of the first to use this method of treatment in this country. He was a successful teacher in the postgraduate course of instruction which was then being given at that institu tion. He became full surgeon in 1913, when the hospital moved to 57th Street and its name was changed to the Herman Knapp Memorial Eye Hospital. He resigned as surgeon, in 1927, to become professor of ophthalmology at the New York Polyclinic Hospital. In 1912, Dr. Török was appointed oph thalmologist at the Beth Israel Hospital in New York City; he organized the depart ment of ophthalmology at this rapidly grow ing hospital and remained its chief for 25 years, until his resignation in 1938. It was here that he showed his ability as an or ganizer and capable administrator. His other hospital affiliations included the Beekman Street Hospital and several institu tions in Westchester County. His excellent clinical knowledge associated with an un usually clear and logical approach to oph thalmic problems won for him a very active field as a consultant for several of the larger accident insurance companies and as expert witness in medico-legal claims. He became a member of the American Ophthalmological Society in 1912. ■ Dr. Török published some excellent pa pers, mostly on surgical subjects, and he
was the author, together with Dr. Gerald H. Grout, of "Surgery of the Eye: A Hand book for Students and Practitioners," which was published in English in 1913 ; a second edition appeared in 1925, and was translated into Spanish. The book describes the surgi cal technique of the Blaskovics clinic. A sound and resourceful surgeon, his skill in operating was striking. He was one of the first in this country to perform the scierai resection (Müller's operation) for retinal detachment in high myopia. He also modified the method of forceps intracapsular extrac tion by grasping the anterior capsule of the lens with a blunt forceps and then extract ing the lens by traction and by exerting pressure according to the usual von Graefe procedure. He was a man of attractive presence and of an exceptionally charming personality. Always courteous, never ruffled or impatient, his tender sympathy endeared him to his patients by whom, and by his many col leagues, his passing will be greatly deplored. He is survived by his wife, who was Louise B. Felter. Arnold Knapp.
CORRESPONDENCE DR. VAN HEJJVEN REPLIES
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: In reply to the correspondence on page 484 of volume 31, April, 1948, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, I want to state that I take no responsibility for the re port of my lecture on "Retinal Detachment," held at Cleveland's Ophthalmological Club in January, 1947. Further: That I was dismissed from lecturing at the Utrecht University by the Germans on Monday, April 12, 1943, and, after the lib eration of Holland, was restored, in 1945, by Royal Appointment; That I never secretly subscribed to the Nazi organization of physicians ;
CORRESPONDENCE That indeed two scientific papers from my hand appeared in German scientific jour nals; the copy of these, however, had left my house before the outbreak of the war ; That together with all patriotic colleagues I resigned my membership of the Dutch Medical Association during the war, and that after the liberation I have never ap plied for membership again on account of disagreement with their leaders (I shared this view with several distinguished col leagues) ; That I still am a member of various scientific Dutch societies. I enclose transla tion of a statement of the secretary of the Dutch Ophthalmological Society that my resignation of membership had nothing to do with politics or political dispositions. During the war I was a regular member of the Dutch Medical Underground sharing all their activities and being penalized for it by the Germans. Besides I played an ac tive roll in the Fighting Underground. I en close a statement from my direct superior as to these, my activities. I regret that a young oculist, whom I only met once or twice and who has no personal knowledge of my affairs, has badly confused gossip and gospel and made himself the speaking trumpet of others. (Signed) J. Alexander van Heuven, New Haven, Connecticut.
STATEMENT FROM DR. ROELOFS
I, the undersigned, Dr. C. Otto Roelofs, secretary of the Dutch Ophthalmological Society, declare herewith that the reason why Dr. J. A. van Heuven, ophthalmolo gist at Utrecht, decided to resign his mem bership of this Society in October, 1945, had nothing to do with politics or political dis positions. (Signed) C. Otto Roelofs, Amsterdam, Holland.
745
STATEMENT FROM UNDERGROUND SUPERIOR
During the occupation there was in my house a center for the food supply and armament of the underground forces. For many years I knew Dr. van Heuven as a patient and when I approached him with the question whether he would dare to do something on behalf of the underground work he did not hesitate for a moment and at once consented. We all trusted him fully; right from the beginning he was in perfect knowledge of everything which happened at my house. He took an active part in the food supply of the underground movement and had to do many jobs which were most unfamiliar to him, paid our secret caterers, and was present at our daily conferences. When the commander of the first Divi sion, Leo Berk, was shot and we were un able to find him, Dr. van Heuven searched all the hospitals as a doctor to find Berk and did not even hesitate to penetrate for that purpose into the St. Anthony Hospital which was entirely occupied by the Ger mans. In identifying men who were mur dered by the Huns he has rendered great services to us. We were very painfully struck by the fact that, after the liberation, various gossip was told about Dr. van Heuven, while we knew for certain that this man was politi cally perfectly trustworthy. I am always willing to provide any fur ther explanation wanted. (Signed) W. J. M. Bordewijk, Utrecht, Holland. PREDILECTION OF LEFT EYES FOR GLAUCOMA
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: In the October, 1947, number of the JOURNAL, Hoist published a statistical study of glaucoma in which he shows the inci dence of glaucoma to be higher in the left eye. Ascher, one of the leading experts of
CORRESPONDENCE
and a man of attractive personality. Dr. Török was a native of Hungary, where he was graduated from the University of Buda pest and received his doctor's degree in 1899. He obtained his preliminary education in ophthalmology at the University Clinic of Schulek in Budapest. After several years of postgraduate training with Grosz and Blaskovics in Budapest and with Hirschberg in Berlin, he arrived in the United States, in 1905, with a letter of introduction to Dr. Herman Knapp. He then became resident and a member of the staff at the New York Ophthalmic and Aural Institute where he inaugurated a tuberculin clinic and was one of the first to use this method of treatment in this country. He was a successful teacher in the postgraduate course of instruction which was then being given at that institu tion. He became full surgeon in 1913, when the hospital moved to 57th Street and its name was changed to the Herman Knapp Memorial Eye Hospital. He resigned as surgeon, in 1927, to become professor of ophthalmology at the New York Polyclinic Hospital. In 1912, Dr. Török was appointed oph thalmologist at the Beth Israel Hospital in New York City; he organized the depart ment of ophthalmology at this rapidly grow ing hospital and remained its chief for 25 years, until his resignation in 1938. It was here that he showed his ability as an or ganizer and capable administrator. His other hospital affiliations included the Beekman Street Hospital and several institu tions in Westchester County. His excellent clinical knowledge associated with an un usually clear and logical approach to oph thalmic problems won for him a very active field as a consultant for several of the larger accident insurance companies and as expert witness in medico-legal claims. He became a member of the American Ophthalmological Society in 1912. ■ Dr. Török published some excellent pa pers, mostly on surgical subjects, and he
was the author, together with Dr. Gerald H. Grout, of "Surgery of the Eye: A Hand book for Students and Practitioners," which was published in English in 1913 ; a second edition appeared in 1925, and was translated into Spanish. The book describes the surgi cal technique of the Blaskovics clinic. A sound and resourceful surgeon, his skill in operating was striking. He was one of the first in this country to perform the scierai resection (Müller's operation) for retinal detachment in high myopia. He also modified the method of forceps intracapsular extrac tion by grasping the anterior capsule of the lens with a blunt forceps and then extract ing the lens by traction and by exerting pressure according to the usual von Graefe procedure. He was a man of attractive presence and of an exceptionally charming personality. Always courteous, never ruffled or impatient, his tender sympathy endeared him to his patients by whom, and by his many col leagues, his passing will be greatly deplored. He is survived by his wife, who was Louise B. Felter. Arnold Knapp.
CORRESPONDENCE DR. VAN HEJJVEN REPLIES
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: In reply to the correspondence on page 484 of volume 31, April, 1948, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, I want to state that I take no responsibility for the re port of my lecture on "Retinal Detachment," held at Cleveland's Ophthalmological Club in January, 1947. Further: That I was dismissed from lecturing at the Utrecht University by the Germans on Monday, April 12, 1943, and, after the lib eration of Holland, was restored, in 1945, by Royal Appointment; That I never secretly subscribed to the Nazi organization of physicians ;
CORRESPONDENCE That indeed two scientific papers from my hand appeared in German scientific jour nals; the copy of these, however, had left my house before the outbreak of the war ; That together with all patriotic colleagues I resigned my membership of the Dutch Medical Association during the war, and that after the liberation I have never ap plied for membership again on account of disagreement with their leaders (I shared this view with several distinguished col leagues) ; That I still am a member of various scientific Dutch societies. I enclose transla tion of a statement of the secretary of the Dutch Ophthalmological Society that my resignation of membership had nothing to do with politics or political dispositions. During the war I was a regular member of the Dutch Medical Underground sharing all their activities and being penalized for it by the Germans. Besides I played an ac tive roll in the Fighting Underground. I en close a statement from my direct superior as to these, my activities. I regret that a young oculist, whom I only met once or twice and who has no personal knowledge of my affairs, has badly confused gossip and gospel and made himself the speaking trumpet of others. (Signed) J. Alexander van Heuven, New Haven, Connecticut.
STATEMENT FROM DR. ROELOFS
I, the undersigned, Dr. C. Otto Roelofs, secretary of the Dutch Ophthalmological Society, declare herewith that the reason why Dr. J. A. van Heuven, ophthalmolo gist at Utrecht, decided to resign his mem bership of this Society in October, 1945, had nothing to do with politics or political dis positions. (Signed) C. Otto Roelofs, Amsterdam, Holland.
745
STATEMENT FROM UNDERGROUND SUPERIOR
During the occupation there was in my house a center for the food supply and armament of the underground forces. For many years I knew Dr. van Heuven as a patient and when I approached him with the question whether he would dare to do something on behalf of the underground work he did not hesitate for a moment and at once consented. We all trusted him fully; right from the beginning he was in perfect knowledge of everything which happened at my house. He took an active part in the food supply of the underground movement and had to do many jobs which were most unfamiliar to him, paid our secret caterers, and was present at our daily conferences. When the commander of the first Divi sion, Leo Berk, was shot and we were un able to find him, Dr. van Heuven searched all the hospitals as a doctor to find Berk and did not even hesitate to penetrate for that purpose into the St. Anthony Hospital which was entirely occupied by the Ger mans. In identifying men who were mur dered by the Huns he has rendered great services to us. We were very painfully struck by the fact that, after the liberation, various gossip was told about Dr. van Heuven, while we knew for certain that this man was politi cally perfectly trustworthy. I am always willing to provide any fur ther explanation wanted. (Signed) W. J. M. Bordewijk, Utrecht, Holland. PREDILECTION OF LEFT EYES FOR GLAUCOMA
Editor, American Journal of Ophthalmology: In the October, 1947, number of the JOURNAL, Hoist published a statistical study of glaucoma in which he shows the inci dence of glaucoma to be higher in the left eye. Ascher, one of the leading experts of