Robert Heitz (Strasbourg):
The "Kontaktbrille" of Adolf Eugen Fick (1887)

In September 1887 Adolf Eugen Fick, an ophthalmologist and Privatdozent in Zurich, submitted a very original paper entitled "Eine Contactbrille" (A contact spectacle) to the Archiv für Augenheilkunde. This was a report on his work, which led to the development of contact lenses. The article was published in March 1888 in both, the German and the English issues of the Archiv.

A. E. Fick first performed experiments on rabbit eyes, then made casts of cadaver eyes. He tried out the scleral contact lens on himself and on people close to him. Finally he had scleral lenses made by Professor Abbe of Jena and fitted six of his patients with them. Five of the patients had irregular astigmatism and corneal scars. The sixth was a case of keratoconus. The results were good, and encouraged him to pursue his studies further. A. E. Fick had difficulties in getting the lenses made, since at the time no optician wanted to make them for him.

His uncle, the physiologist A Fick who invented the tonometer, influenced A. E. Fick. A. E. Fick worked in private ophthalmological practice, and was "Privatdozent" (Reader) of Ophthalmology and Physiology at the University of Zurich from 1887 to 1914. He died in 1937 at the age of 85.

Robert F. Heitz M.D., Ph.D., 23A rue Trubner, F-67000 Strasbourg

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Aloys Henning (Berlin):
The History of Joseph Hillmer’s Family at Hainburg

The oculist Joseph Hillmer's birthplace Hainburg has come to light in 1999 (cf. Mitt. JHG 2 (2001) p. 68) by the registered baptism of his son Johann Joseph in 1752 at the Berlin Calvinists' French church (Huguenots). Investigations of the Hainburg archivist Erna Frank reveal the Hillmers as "Baders" ("barber-surgeons", ranking lower than the German "Wundarzt" - barber-surgeon - at the time) or barber-surgeons in the town since 1685 until 1750. In 1685 the "Bader Meister" Leonhard Hillmer had settled down by a house, burnt down in Hainburg. Turkish soldiers had destroyed Hainburg by fire, when they besieged Vienna in 1683. Leonhard Hillmer (died 1713) and his son Ferdinand (borne in 1687) practising medicine at Hainburg, where two "Baders" had been in practice for 4000 inhabitants (to-day 5700) before the siege of Vienna, were respected citizens with important municipal duties. Compared with his family's social and economic conditions in Hainburg, Joseph Hillmer's career as oculist seems to have been an attempt to get higher social reputation and income. First ophthalmiatric knowledges Joseph got probably by his stepfather, the military barber-surgeon Andreas Bucher. When Joseph Hillmer's father Ferdinand has died in 1730, Bucher married his widow Elisabeth, borne as Zimmermann in Neusiedl on Lake, and took over his practice. Bucher's death with 60 years by age has discontinued the Hillmers' tradition as barber-surgeons at Hainburg in 1750. The death of Elisabeth Bucher in 1755 is the last documented trace of the Hillmer family there.

Dr. Aloys Henning, Spandauer Straße 104 K, D-13591 Berlin

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Jutta Herde (Halle):
On the History of Mydriatics

Since the antiquity animal, mineral as well as plant substances have been used as remedies. By the search for and by the use of analgesic drugs coincidental dilatation of the pupils has been noticed, especially by using of Solanaceae. Celsus used the name mydriasis, but Galen recognised the dilating effect of the pupil at first. The oldest tradition has been done from Greek, Italy, Persia, Egypt, India and South of America too. In the oldest book of medicine - Papyrus Ebers (~1600 b. C.) - have been mentioned Mandragora as "dja-dja". Mandragora, Hyoscyamus niger and albus and Datura have been well known by Dioscurides, Plinius, Celsus, Galen and others, but Atropa only by Theophrast. Plinius recommended the application of juice of the Anagallis before incision for the operation of the cataract. Dioscurides and Celsus preferred compresses with leafs of Hyoscyamus around the eye. Galen favoured solitary drugs to the mixtures of Opium and Hyoscyamus by Greeks. Cocaine has the origin in the South of America. A description and painting of Atropa belladonna have been given by Hildegard von Bingen at the 12th century and by Leonhart Fuchs 1542 too. The effect of Atropine on the pupil documented by John Ray 1686. The name bella donna (beauty women) was coined by Matthioli in Venetia in the 16th century. Linne established the name of species Atropa (unavoidable). The basis were the new plant systematic and the relationship with the Moires (goddesses of fate) Klotho, Lachesis and Atropos. The suture spinning by Klotho weaving by Lachesis have been cutting by Atropos. The systematic clinical investigation of mydriatics have been done independently by Reimarus and Daries 1776, by J. Ch. Loder in Jena 1796, 1799/1800 by Carl von Himly and by R. Runge 1819. The investigations by Himly were the beginning of the scientific clinical application of the mydriatics and of the spreading to England and France. The first user in England was Paget 1801 and Saunders 1809. The pharmacist Mein succeeded the pure crystalline production of atropine 1831. J. Liebig analysed the chemical composition. Geiger and Hesse isolated the pure substances atropine, Hyoscyamine and Daturine from the plants 1833. The reasons for the delaying use of the mydriatics were the uncontrolled content of active substances in the solutions, the pure agreement by the patients as well as the side effects. The gain acceptance for clinical using started with the pure production of the acid atropinsulphate, of the well founded scientific explanation of atropine by A. v. Graefe and with the synthetic production.

Prof. Dr. Jutta Herde, Augenklinik der Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Straße 8, D-06112 Halle

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Gerhard Holland (Kiel):
From the Oblique Focal Illumination to the Modem Slitlamp

Gullstrand brought to perfection the so-called oblique focal illumination of the eye with the presentation of the Nernst-slitlamp on the 37th meeting of the German Ophthalmological Society in Heidelberg in 1911. This was the beginning of the story of success of the real slitlamp with its various possibilities of being used in examination, documentation and treatment of the eye. Out of the first years of its development especially the physicist Otto Henker, the ophthalmologists Leonhard Koeppen and Alfred Vogt and the company Zeiß-Jena have to be mentioned. The historical collection of medicine and pharmaceutics at the Christian-Albrecht-University Kiel owns slitlamps of Gullstrand-Henker (1916), Comberg (1933), Goldmann (1940) and Littmann (1950). These slitlamps are a main topic of our paper.

Prof. Dr. G. Holland, Esmarchstraße 51, D-42105 Kiel

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Manfred Jähne (Aue:)
"Everything is coming from the mine ..."
Following Traces of Occupational Diseases in Saxony's Ore mountains more than 400 Years ago

The mining industry of Saxony was because of its rich ore in the pole position in Europe in the 15th to the 18th century. Though the pulmonary cancer and the fire cataract are the oldest occupational diseases of the world, but were acknowledged as occupational diseases only in 1925. Both diseases have a history of nearly 500 years in the Ore mountains and were noticed by Paracelsus (1493–1541) in 1537. His little book "Von der Bergsucht oder Bergkranckheiten, drey Bücher" is the first monography of occupational diseases of miners and foundry workers. The mercuria lentis (Intoxication by mercury of the lens) is perhaps described by Paracelsus, too?

Was Paracelsus possibly the first observer of three occupational diseases? We found the first chronical bibliographical data of the fire cataract and of the Ergophthalmology in the chronicle of the priest of the town Scheibenberg (Ore mountains), Christian Lehmann sen. (1611–1688), published in Leipzig in 1699 posthum, already 40 years before description of the fire cataract by Lorenz Heister (1683–1758). Scientific medicine in Saxony in former centuries, curse and blessing of the mine and especially the problems of the fire cataract are described exactly before this background.

Dr. med. habil. M. Jähne, Semmelweis-Siedlung 8, D-08301 Schlema

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Frank Krogmann (Thüngersheim):
Tyrolean Ophthalmologists – “a most significant export”

Tyrol is the homeland of many important ophthalmologists. They were born in Tyrol or spent a time of their life in Tyrol for learning ophthalmology. Later they worked in other countries of Austria or abroad. Some of them will be presented in the lecture. Because of their merit they may be said to be “a most significant export”.

F. Krogmann, Kirchgasse 6, D-97291 Thüngersheim

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Andreas Mettenleiter (Würzburg)
130 years Private Ophthalmologic Clinics in Wuerzburg (1840-1972)

When the surgeon and ophthalmologist Heinrich Adelmann (1807–1883) opened a provisional ophthalmologic clinic in his private house in the "Obere Wöllergasse", he started a tradition of prosperating ophthalmologic private clinics in Wuerzburg. Whereas Friedrich Anton von Troeltsch (1829–1890) specialised in treating otiatric patients in his originally ophthalmologic clinic (opened in 1857), Robert von Welz (1814–1878) dedicated his clinic (founded in 1855) to the university of Wuerzburg: After his death, his clinic became the first university ophthalmologic clinic. In the late 1860ies, the clinics of Friedrich Christian Helfreich (1842–1927) and Adam Baeuerlein (1840–1923) came into existence; in 1898, Baeuerlein sold his private clinic to Karl Arens (1860–1930). Wilhelm Apetz's (1872–1956) clinic, opened in 1901. was taken over by his son Heinrich (1908–19) and existed until 1972. The heyday of the ophthalmologic clinics in Wuerzburg were the decades between 1860 and 1920, when up to four private clinics existed contemporously. The history of these private clinics reflects the fast development of the speciality during the second half of the 19th century.

Dr. A. Mettenleiter, Institut für Geschichte der Medizin der Universität Würzburg, Oberer Neubergweg 10a, D-97074 Würzburg

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Hans-Felix Piper:
Alfred Wilhelm Volkmann (1801–1877) – as Sensory Physiologist: blamed, appraised, remembered

Volkmann taught in Leipzig, Dorpat and Halle, and published works on anatomy and physiology of the visual system. Even though a true natural Scientist himself he was fond of philosophical interpretations and regarded “Physiology as Opponent of the Theory of Materialism and Identity of Body and Soul" (1838). He thoughtfully designed simple experimental setups, recommended to his readers for copy, in order to clarify contentious observations. Two of his main works were published in 1836 and 1863/64; in the time between he had to revoke several of his initial conclusions. His contemporaries saw him critically: Burow claimed to reveal errors and untruths (1842); Panum neglected a role for the soul in physiology (1861); and Hering regarded Volkmann as ignorant of the pertinent literature (1864). But von Helmholtz paid respect and cited Volkmann's work in his Handbook of Physiological Optics (1867) 58 times. Today, i.e. 150 years later, Volkmann's achievement are well recognized in the German literature. He first described the opposing disclination of subjective vertical perception between the eyes and irradiation of the boundary between black and white. He also determined the speed of eye movements and constructed the Tachistoscope, the Macroscope and much more. His name remains memorable.

Prof. Dr. H.-F. Piper, Im Brandenbaumer Feld 32, D-23564 Lübeck

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Hans Remky (München):
On the Way to Corneal Topography: Ophthalmometry, Kerato-Scopy-Metry 1600–1930

In the 18th century instruments measuring anatomically the globe were called OPHTHALMOMETER by French doctors, as well by HELMHOLTZ performing in situ measures in 1854. In 1873 CUIGNET named the sciascopic technique he invented KERATOMETRY.

In 1827 BREWSTER recommended KERATOSCOPY first described by SCHEINER in 1619 as clinical tool. Beginning from 1838 important trials were undertaken to quantify keratoscopic findings, e.g. by KOHLRAUSCH and by SENFF. These trials resulted in the development of HELMHOLTZ’s ophthalmometer, and of the later modification of COCCIUS.

In 1880 PLACIDO started a renaissance of keratoscopy leading to the development of instruments of JAVAL and SCHlÖTZ and finally to KERATOPHOTOGRAPHY, first described in 1881. GULLSTRAND, ERGGELET, DEKKING and AMSLER had great efforts in improving this technique. The step to modern keratophotography successfully happened in 1984 by computer-based video analysis, still with the aid of the Plácido-disc.

Prof. Dr. H. Remky, Arabellastraße 5-19, D-81925 München

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Dieter Schmidt (Freiburg):
Wilhelm Manz (1833–1911), first Professor of Ophthalmology at the University Eye Hospital Freiburg (1868 )

Wilhelm Manz was born in Freiburg (May 29th, 1833). He was educated in a grammar school in Freiburg and studied Medicine in Freiburg from 1851 to 1855. For completion of his medical education he visited several hospitals in Prague, Vienna, and Paris from 1856 to 1857. In summer 1857, he visited Albrecht von Graefe in his Eye Hospital in Berlin. Then, Manz returned to Freiburg and wrote his thesis on "Accommodation of the fish eye" (1858). He passed the University examination as an academic teacher ("Habilitation") in 1861. At that time he worked at the Department of Physiology and Anatomy (Prosector) in Freiburg.

1868 he got the chair in Ophthalmology and the title Professor of Ophthalmology, three years later. 1877 the Eye Hospital was built as one of the first Ophthalmological University Hospitals in Germany. He was elected several times as Dean of the medical faculty in Freiburg and was "Prorector" at the University (1886) and received the title ,,Hofrat". In 1901 he retired. He died at April 20th, 1911.

He published numerous articles on ontogenesis and malformations of the eye. including two important handbook publications on this topic (1875). He made waxwork on the embryology of the eye. He published on coloboma of the iris and choroid (1876), congenital microphthalmos (1880), coloboma of the optic nerve (1891), and the eye in brainless monsters (1870).

He was the first who described tubercles in the choroid (1858, 1863, 1881, 1895). He created the expression "Retinitis proliferans" (1880) and he experimentally examined the relation between increased intracranial pressure and secondary changes of the optic nerve (1870).

He also described his clinical observations, such as orbital fractures (1866), melanotic tumour of the cornea (1871), diphtherical palsy of accommodation (1870). Manz observed a cyclitis in a patient with congenital malformation of the iris (1875). The topics of additional publications were: syphilitic eye diseases (1872, 1874), degeneration of the optic nerve (1882), on "school myopia" (1883), metastatic tumour of the choroid (1885), recurrent palsy of the oculomotor nerve (1885, 1889), histological findings of embolism in central retinal artery occlusion (1891), and medullary nerve fibers in the retina (1894).

Prof. Dr. D. Schmidt, Universitäts-Augenklinik Freiburg, Kilianstraße 5, D-79106 Freiburg

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Gottfried Vesper (Leipzig):
Charlotte von Lengefeld (1766-1826) had an Eye-operation at the End of her Life

Mostly, Charlotte von Lengefeld is only known as the wife of the famous German poet and writer Friedrich von Schiller. Her husband, Friedrich von Schiller was often sick, and so she supported him by his literary activity. At the age of nearly sixty years her visual acuity decreased considerably.
An operation on the eyes was necessary because of the diagnosis of cataract. Only a few days later she died at July 9th in 1826, most probably on stroke.

MR Dr. G. Vesper, Harnackstraße 9, D-04317 Leipzig

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