Lorenz E. Zimmerman

LORENZ E. ZIMMERMAN In this issue THE JOURNAL publishes letters of tribute and some articles dedicated to Lorenz E. Zimmerman on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Many other physicians expressed the wish to convey publicly their homage and congratulations to "Zim" on this festive occasion, but space limitations prevented us from printing them all. We have to go back a long time to find another nonophthalmologist who contributed as much to clinical ophthalmology as our Zim. Helmholtz comes to mind, who found the key to unlock the secrets of the interior of the eye. Similarly, Zim unlocked the secret of many ocular diseases, by establishing the correct histologic interpretation, and revealing the nature of the clinical picture thereby opening the door to a purposeful and logical treatment. Following are some examples: the extraction of a hypermature cataract in phacolytic glaucoma, the removal of lens remnants in a phacoanaphylactic reaction, the surgical treatment of contusion angle glaucoma, the critical assessment of the value of enucleating an eye with a choroidal melanoma, the nature of trilateral retinoblastoma, and the benign variety of retinoblastoma. There are many more. Zim is not only a superb pathologist who knows a great deal about ophthalmology and a splendid investigator, but also a great teacher and an excellent lecturer. Practically all American ocular pathologists under 50 years old are directly or indirectly his pupils, Additionally, Zim trained the cream of ocular pathologists in South America, Europe, and Asia. His lectures are characterized by the logic of his presentation, the clarity of his thought process, and the eloquence of his rhetorical gifts. On this festive occasion ophthalmology in general and American ophthalmology in particular express appreciation and gratitude to our Zim. Ad multos annos. FREDERICK C. BLDOI, M.D.

Iowa City, Iowa