The History Of Ophthalmology

When the eyeball is indented in total darkness, within less than 200 mil liseconds an oval or quarter-moon shaped spot of light is perceived in the part of the visual field corresponding to the indented region of the retina. In the seconds following, this phosphene extends across the whole visual field and alters in structure during further eyeball indentation. It is then seen as irregular large bright spots of light, finely structured moving light grains ('light nebula') and stationary bright stars. Regular geometrical patterns appear only when both eyes are indented simultaneously [1]. When the eyeball deformation is released, part of the retina again lights up for another one or two seconds and curved light lines are seen following the course of the larger retinal vessels (Fig. 1). In the following we will review the history of this phenomenon, which played an important role during the first 2200 years of vision theories and in the development of models to explain normal vision. 2. Pre-Socratic philosophers, Plato and Aristotle Alcmaeon of Croton (6-5th century B. C. ), who was a member of the Pythagoraean sect and one of the founders of Greek medicine, was the first to describe mechanical deformation of the eyeball leading to light sensa tions. According to Aristotle's pupil Theophrast of Eresos, Alcmaeon report ed that 'the eye obviously has fire within,for when the eye is struckfireflashes out' [2, p. 88].

The History of Glaucoma, the latest in the Hirschberg series of the history of ophthalmology, covers the twists, turns, and paradigm-shifts in the glaucoma concept over the past two millennia. Previously, scholars were not able to agree on how the term glaucoma, which related in antiquity to the color of a diseased eye, ended up describing an excavated optic neuropathy which has nothing to do with color. The volume begins in the ancient world, and proceeds all the way to the modern era of optical coherence tomography, minimally invasive surgery, and anti-VEGF agents. Ophthalmic historians and glaucoma specialists from the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America have contributed their scholarship and recollections to this volume, which includes photographs from private collections, information from unpublished documents, and new translations from Latin, Arabic, French, German, and Spanish. The work of masters such as Julius Hirschberg and Max Meyerhof is supplemented by the latest scholarship, which has benefited from the explosion in digitally-accessible historical documents. This new scholarship has upended many deeply rooted beliefs about ophthalmology history. Most important, the volume relates the personal stories of eye surgeons and patients, to bring the past to life. The History of Glaucoma is a must-have for anyone interested in medical history.

This new book is a comprehensive survey of the history of ophthalmology from its ancient beginnings to its entrance into the mainstream of twentieth-century medicine. For example, it includes discussions of ophthalmology as practiced by Hippocrates, the development of spectacles, cataract surgery, and the recognition and introduction of therapy for glaucoma. This book offers an accurately written and fascinating assemblage of important works about ophthalmology's history.

The development of ophthalmology to its present level of sophisticated practice is an extraordinary story of research, experiment, and achievement. Dates in Ophthalmology: A Chronological Record of Progress in Ophthalmology over the Last Millennium charts the progress of that achievement over the last millennium, highlighting and describing the key dates of advancement. It presents a concise listing of the chief personages, periods, publications, and events in the history of ophthalmology from ancient times to the present. The book demonstrates how ideas, discoveries, and technologies cross borders and oceans. It illustrates the interplay of subspecialties, the changing pre-eminence of countries and cities, and the explosions of creativity and generations of dormancy in various areas. The author highlights the numerous and diverse events and people responsible for shaping this specialty. There are many ways of looking at history: from the standpoint of the lives of major figures, of society and impact, of subspecialties, of countries, of institutions, and of books. By presenting its information chronologically, Dates in Ophthalmology explores the how these areas intersect, influence, and impact each other.