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The History of Ophthalmology. Volume 3. The Renaissance of Ophthalmology in the Eighteenth Century (Part One)
526
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
BOOK REVIEWS Edited by H. Stanley Thompson, M. D.
The History of Ophthalmology. Volume 3. The Renaissance of Ophthalmology in the Eighteenth Century (Part One). By Julius Hirschberg. Translated by Fred erick C. Blodi. Bonn, J. P. Wayenborgh Verlag, 1984. 422 pages, index, illus trated. Series subscription, $78 per vol ume.
Reviewed by FRANK W.
NEWELL
Julius Hirschberg was born Sept. 18, 1843, in Potsdam, Germany. At an early age he read and spoke English, French, and Italian and later in life added fluent Arabic and modern Greek. At the age of 9 years, he entered the Royal Victoria Gymnasium in Potsdam and there mas tered classical Latin and Greek. He stud ied medicine in Berlin at the time the giants of 19th century medicine taught there—Helmholtz, Brücke, Virchow, von Graefe, and many others. Hirschberg worked in von Graefe's eye clinic for two years and then started his own clinic where he pioneered in antisepsis. He founded and edited the "Centralblatt fur praktische Augenheilkunde," and was the most prolific ophthalmic author of his generation, writing monographs, text books, and scientific articles. His literary monument is the 4,720-page "Geschichte der Augenheilkunde" published between 1899 and 1918 in 11 volumes of the sec ond edition of the "Graefe-Saemisch Handbuch der gesamten Augenheilkun d e . " The work has long been out of print. It has been eagerly mined by medical historians ever since it appeared. Frederick C. Blodi continues the mon umental task of translating the 11 vol umes into English. A more worthy suc
OCTOBER, 1984
cessor to Hirschberg could not be found. A student of languages, a skilled clini cian, a noted editor, an outstanding teacher, he has all of Hirschberg's quali ties but one. Where Hirschberg is de scribed as rude, cruel, and brutal, Blodi is the epitome of Viennese courtliness and gentleness. H e has provided an enor mous service to monolingual English ophthalmic historians and to others whose second language is English. The first volume of the translation ap peared in 1981 and described the oph thalmology of the Hindus, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Volume 2, which tells of the Arabian advances in optics and ophthalmology that influenced Europe in the Middle Ages, will be re leased shortly. This third volume de scribes the foundation of modern oph thalmology beginning in the 18th century. The text is divided into two portions. The first describes the debate concerning the nature of cataract. Was the opacity a membranous tissue in the pupillary aperture? Was it an opacification of the lens? (Some of the confusion may have originated with cyclitic pupil lary membranes.) The second portion de scribes the second half of the century after Jacques Daviel described cataract extraction. At the beginning of the 18th century, the theories of Galen were gradually being supplanted. Couching was the sole operative treatment for cataract. Then Michel Brisseau, of Tournay, described cataract to the Royal Academy of Science on Nov. 17, 1705. Earlier, Antoine Maitre-Jan showed the eye was capable of vision without the crystalline lens. The new theory was strongly opposed, partic ularly by Thomas Woolhouse, an English ophthalmologist who followed King James II to Paris when the King was exiled in 1688. Hirschberg describes Woolhouse as one of the worst charlatans who had ever seen the light of day. The second chapter describes surgical
VOL. 98, NO. 4
BOOK REVIEWS
procedures upon the pupil. These con sisted mainly of procedures designed to provide a new pupil after inflammation or injury. Chapter 3 opens with a paragraph con cerning cataract extraction that reflects modern thinking: For thousands of years this surgical inter vention has been surrounded by a certain mystique, because this condition may cause blindness, rendering the patient unable to work and causes a marked deterioration of the patient's lifestyle. The frequency with which cataracts occur and the startling success with which the operation restores vision have made the cataract operation the fulcrum of surgical ophthalmic endeavors.
Jacques Daviel, surgeon to the Hotel Dieu in Marseilles, settled in Paris in 1747. In 1752 he published his main work. From then on ophthalmology was never to be the same. Reports concerning variations in the size and location of the incision, complications, new instru ments, results, and position of the opera tor's hands followed immediately and continue until this day. The book concludes with the descrip tion of ophthalmology and ophthalmolo gists in various countries. Dr. Blodi has provided an accurate, literate translation. The book is hand somely produced with illustrations from the publisher's collection. It is a most valuable contribution to ophthalmology and to the history of medicine. Pédiatrie Ophthalmology (Volume 25 in The Major Problems in Clinical Pediat rics Series). By Leonard B. Nelson. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders Compa ny, 1984. 288 pages, index, illustrated. $39.50
Reviewed by HENRY S. M E T Z
Rochester,
New York
As Dr. Nelson states in the preface to "Pédiatrie Ophthalmology," the "book is
527
an attempt to provide the pediatrician family practitioner, house officer and oth ers concerned with the pédiatrie patient with a broad overview and better under standing of the eye disorders peculiar to children." In this aim, it succeeds admir ably. The text is a concise review of pédiatrie ophthalmology, presented in a readable, understandable format for the nonophthalmic physician. Because of its sole authorship, the style is consistent and flows easily. The 17 chapters cover all the important areas of pédiatrie ophthalmology. Ocular anatomy is presented from a functional viewpoint and one chapter deals nicely with visual development in infancy and childhood. The section on genetics is presented primarily in tabular form, as it is in Harley's encyclopedic textbook. The chapter on the visually handicapped child offers many useful suggestions for this group of patients and is followed by a list of special education resources and of pub lic agencies providing preschool and vo cational counseling services in each state. The illustrations are generally taken from other standard, well-known texts with a few original illustrations inter spersed. They are of excellent quality and enhance and complement the written ma terial very well. The many references are up to date, and they serve as an excellent list of additional sources that the reader might require. The book has many practi cal "pearls," especially for the pediatri cian and family physician as well as the house officer. The index is complete and easy to use. Chapters are nicely divided into sections, which assist in locating de sired information. The print is large and easy to read. This book is certainly recommended for our nonophthalmologist medical col leagues and deserves to be a part of all department libraries. It makes pédiatrie ophthalmology both interesting and un derstandable and brings the reader clini cally up to date in the areas covered.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
BOOK REVIEWS Edited by H. Stanley Thompson, M. D.
The History of Ophthalmology. Volume 3. The Renaissance of Ophthalmology in the Eighteenth Century (Part One). By Julius Hirschberg. Translated by Fred erick C. Blodi. Bonn, J. P. Wayenborgh Verlag, 1984. 422 pages, index, illus trated. Series subscription, $78 per vol ume.
Reviewed by FRANK W.
NEWELL
Julius Hirschberg was born Sept. 18, 1843, in Potsdam, Germany. At an early age he read and spoke English, French, and Italian and later in life added fluent Arabic and modern Greek. At the age of 9 years, he entered the Royal Victoria Gymnasium in Potsdam and there mas tered classical Latin and Greek. He stud ied medicine in Berlin at the time the giants of 19th century medicine taught there—Helmholtz, Brücke, Virchow, von Graefe, and many others. Hirschberg worked in von Graefe's eye clinic for two years and then started his own clinic where he pioneered in antisepsis. He founded and edited the "Centralblatt fur praktische Augenheilkunde," and was the most prolific ophthalmic author of his generation, writing monographs, text books, and scientific articles. His literary monument is the 4,720-page "Geschichte der Augenheilkunde" published between 1899 and 1918 in 11 volumes of the sec ond edition of the "Graefe-Saemisch Handbuch der gesamten Augenheilkun d e . " The work has long been out of print. It has been eagerly mined by medical historians ever since it appeared. Frederick C. Blodi continues the mon umental task of translating the 11 vol umes into English. A more worthy suc
OCTOBER, 1984
cessor to Hirschberg could not be found. A student of languages, a skilled clini cian, a noted editor, an outstanding teacher, he has all of Hirschberg's quali ties but one. Where Hirschberg is de scribed as rude, cruel, and brutal, Blodi is the epitome of Viennese courtliness and gentleness. H e has provided an enor mous service to monolingual English ophthalmic historians and to others whose second language is English. The first volume of the translation ap peared in 1981 and described the oph thalmology of the Hindus, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Volume 2, which tells of the Arabian advances in optics and ophthalmology that influenced Europe in the Middle Ages, will be re leased shortly. This third volume de scribes the foundation of modern oph thalmology beginning in the 18th century. The text is divided into two portions. The first describes the debate concerning the nature of cataract. Was the opacity a membranous tissue in the pupillary aperture? Was it an opacification of the lens? (Some of the confusion may have originated with cyclitic pupil lary membranes.) The second portion de scribes the second half of the century after Jacques Daviel described cataract extraction. At the beginning of the 18th century, the theories of Galen were gradually being supplanted. Couching was the sole operative treatment for cataract. Then Michel Brisseau, of Tournay, described cataract to the Royal Academy of Science on Nov. 17, 1705. Earlier, Antoine Maitre-Jan showed the eye was capable of vision without the crystalline lens. The new theory was strongly opposed, partic ularly by Thomas Woolhouse, an English ophthalmologist who followed King James II to Paris when the King was exiled in 1688. Hirschberg describes Woolhouse as one of the worst charlatans who had ever seen the light of day. The second chapter describes surgical
VOL. 98, NO. 4
BOOK REVIEWS
procedures upon the pupil. These con sisted mainly of procedures designed to provide a new pupil after inflammation or injury. Chapter 3 opens with a paragraph con cerning cataract extraction that reflects modern thinking: For thousands of years this surgical inter vention has been surrounded by a certain mystique, because this condition may cause blindness, rendering the patient unable to work and causes a marked deterioration of the patient's lifestyle. The frequency with which cataracts occur and the startling success with which the operation restores vision have made the cataract operation the fulcrum of surgical ophthalmic endeavors.
Jacques Daviel, surgeon to the Hotel Dieu in Marseilles, settled in Paris in 1747. In 1752 he published his main work. From then on ophthalmology was never to be the same. Reports concerning variations in the size and location of the incision, complications, new instru ments, results, and position of the opera tor's hands followed immediately and continue until this day. The book concludes with the descrip tion of ophthalmology and ophthalmolo gists in various countries. Dr. Blodi has provided an accurate, literate translation. The book is hand somely produced with illustrations from the publisher's collection. It is a most valuable contribution to ophthalmology and to the history of medicine. Pédiatrie Ophthalmology (Volume 25 in The Major Problems in Clinical Pediat rics Series). By Leonard B. Nelson. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders Compa ny, 1984. 288 pages, index, illustrated. $39.50
Reviewed by HENRY S. M E T Z
Rochester,
New York
As Dr. Nelson states in the preface to "Pédiatrie Ophthalmology," the "book is
527
an attempt to provide the pediatrician family practitioner, house officer and oth ers concerned with the pédiatrie patient with a broad overview and better under standing of the eye disorders peculiar to children." In this aim, it succeeds admir ably. The text is a concise review of pédiatrie ophthalmology, presented in a readable, understandable format for the nonophthalmic physician. Because of its sole authorship, the style is consistent and flows easily. The 17 chapters cover all the important areas of pédiatrie ophthalmology. Ocular anatomy is presented from a functional viewpoint and one chapter deals nicely with visual development in infancy and childhood. The section on genetics is presented primarily in tabular form, as it is in Harley's encyclopedic textbook. The chapter on the visually handicapped child offers many useful suggestions for this group of patients and is followed by a list of special education resources and of pub lic agencies providing preschool and vo cational counseling services in each state. The illustrations are generally taken from other standard, well-known texts with a few original illustrations inter spersed. They are of excellent quality and enhance and complement the written ma terial very well. The many references are up to date, and they serve as an excellent list of additional sources that the reader might require. The book has many practi cal "pearls," especially for the pediatri cian and family physician as well as the house officer. The index is complete and easy to use. Chapters are nicely divided into sections, which assist in locating de sired information. The print is large and easy to read. This book is certainly recommended for our nonophthalmologist medical col leagues and deserves to be a part of all department libraries. It makes pédiatrie ophthalmology both interesting and un derstandable and brings the reader clini cally up to date in the areas covered.