Ophthalmology
The removal of cataracts was popular in sixth century India and continued by barber-surgeons as they traveled throughout Europe, remaining the only procedure routinely performed on the eye prior to the nineteenth century.
Traité complet d’anatomie de l’homme, 2nd ed.(1866–1871) by J.M. Bourgery, Claude Bernard, and N.H. Jacob
facial anatomy
Traité complet d’anatomie de l’homme, 2nd ed.(1866–1871) by J.M. Bourgery, Claude Bernard, and N.H. Jacob
muscles of the eye
Das ist Augendienst (1583) by Georg Bartisch
This is an illustration of cataract surgery and use of the couching needle. Many patients suffered at the hands of incompetent physicians, including composers George Frederic Handel who lost his eyesight, and Johann Sebastian Bach who lost his life to British quack oculist John Taylor.
A General System of Surgery (1743) by Laurence Heister
Cataract surgery continued in use for many centuries through Asia and Europe.
Traité complet d’anatomie de l’homme, 2nd ed.(1866–1871) by J.M. Bourgery, Claude Bernard, and N.H. Jacob
another illustration of cataract surgery
Cataract Surgery: Teaching a Student How to Make a Superior Incision (1870) by Edouard Meyer
an albumin print
exhibition ophthalmologic surgical set by Aubry (ca. 1880)
This cased set contained polished steel, silver, gilt brass, and horn handled instruments in burl wood case, and was probably manufactured for competition at a World's Fair.
lachrimal syringe by Charriere, Collin
This is a nineteenth century instrument for irrigation of the lacrimal ducts.
Liebrichs ophthalmic trephine
This gruesome instrument was used for corneal surgery.
ophthalmophantome by Luer (ca. 1870)
Young physicians learned about surgery by practicing on pigs’ eyes that were placed in surrealistic appearing ophthalmophantomes.
Herman von Helmholtz ophthalmoscope by Otto & Raynders (ca. 1860)
In 1851, Herman von Helmholtz (1821-1894) invented of the ophthalmoscope, a device that enabled him to be the first to visualize the retina, and ophthalmology was on its was to becoming a specialized branch of medicine.
late nineteenth century Morton’s chain of lenses ophthalmoscope by Maw, Son, and Thompson
Loring ’s ophthmalmoscope by Luer (ca. 1880)
Das ist Augendienst (1583) by Georg Bartisch
The specific origin of spectacles remains unclear, though the first reference to a device for the refraction of light was by the Roman philosopher and statesman Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Younger (4 B.C.- 65 A.D.) when he said that he had “read all the books in Rome” through a glass globe of water. The Chinese are generally given credit for the invention of spectacles, though they probably used the lenses to protect themselves from “evil forces” rather than for reading. The use of ground glass for reading probably was invented in Venice at the end of the seventeenth century.
examples of early eye glasses
(top) leather Nuremberg spectacles (ca. 1500); (Top left) folding Chinese spectacles of brass and tortoiseshell with forehead rest (ribbons replaced)
(ca. 1700), silver horn-rimmed Benjamin Martin type (“Martin’s margins”) with fish skin case (ca. 1770);
(bottom) quizzer with case (ca. 1800) and silver folding lorgnette (ca. 1860)
cased set of trial lenses by Nachet and Fils (ca. 1880) distributed by James W. Queen and Co.
Mid to late nineteenth century hand-painted glass artificial eyes
a number of blown glass eyes above a prosthesis resting on a blown opalescent eye cup
silver and ivory eye cup (unmarked)