Thomas of Wroclaw (1297-1378) - Medieval bishop and scholar of English origin.

Peter of Tilleberi (Tilbury), later known as bishop Thomas of Wroclaw, after completing his studies (in Bologna or in Montpellier) worked as a physician in northern Italy and probably in Spain. Later through Germany and Bohemia, he came to Wroclaw in 1336 where he joined the Order of St. Dominic.

OCT angiography by absolute intensity difference applied to normal and diseased human retinas.

We compare four optical coherence tomography techniques for noninvasive visualization of microcapillary network in the human retina and murine cortex. We perform phantom studies to investigate contrast-to-noise ratio for angiographic images obtained with each of the algorithm. We show that the computationally simplest absolute intensity difference angiographic OCT algorithm that bases only on two cross-sectional intensity images may be successfully used in clinical study of healthy eyes and eyes with diabetic maculopathy and branch retinal vein occlusion.

[Pneumoencephalon and pneumatocoele intrabulbaris--the consequence of penetrating wounds of the orbital cavity and severe ocular injury--case reports].

Pneumoencephalon i.e. the presence of the intracranial air is commonly detected in the consequence of the head injury or penetrating wound of orbital cavity.

[Ophthalmology in Byzantium between the 4th and the 7th century].

The article presents the state of development of medicine and ophthalmology in Byzantium in the period between the 4th and the 7th century. It discusses the life and work of Oribasius, Alexander of Tralles, Aëtius from Amida and Paullus from Aegina. It underlines the contribution of Oribasius into the dissemination of knowledge of Galen's works.

[Galen from Pergamon (130-200)--views in ophthalmology. Part II--anatomic description of the eye].

The article presents Galen's views on the anatomy of the eye. He believed that the eye was composed of membranes and fluids. He distinguished the following membranes of the eye: the cornea, the sclera, the choroid, the capsula of the lens and the retina, as well as the structure covering the muscles of the eye and joining the individual elements of the eye with the orbital cavity and the skull (i.

[Galen of Pergamum (130-200)--his views on ophthalmology (part I)].

The development of medicine owes a lot to Galen of Pergamum (Asia Minor) who lived around 130-200 AD. He was of Greek origin and he wrote his works only in Greek. However, he lived and worked mostly in Italy.

[Application of spectral optical coherent tomography (SOCT) in ophthalmology].

The article describes spectral optical coherent tomography (SOCT) constructed by Medical Physics Group, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics at Nicholas Copernicus University in Toruń (Poland). It presents the physical bases for the functioning of the constructed device and includes pictures of optical sections of various elements of the eyeball: an optic disc and the region of central fovea, a cornea and angle structures (trabecular meshwork). The article also discusses potential application of SOCT in ophthalmic diagnosis of anterior and posterior segments of the eye.

[Ophthalmic aspects in Celsus' work De medicina libri octo].

The article presents Aulus Cornelius Celsus (living in Roman Empire 15 BC - 50 AD) and his famous work "De medicina libri octo", one of the main sources of knowledge on the ancient medicine. It briefly goes through the content of the medical treaties. A wider discussion of the following ophthalmic aspects, included in Book VI and Book VII, is provided: the anatomy of the eye, the description of ophthalmic diseases, methods of its preventive treatment and surgery.

[State of ophthalmology in ancient Rome].

The article presents the state of medical knowledge of the peoples forming Etruscan and Roman civilization circa 600 years B. C. Medical practices of these peoples are discussed.

[Phantom vision sensation].

The paper presents the phenomenon of phantom sensation including in particular, a phantom vision. These unusual sensations occur among the blind (or almost blind) and are characterised by the perception of various visual impressions, for example, light, geometrical shapes, buildings, people, flowers etc. The paper presents views explaining the generation of phantom vision.

[Father Waclaw Szuniewicz--Polish missionary, ophthalmologist, pioneer of refractive surgery of the cornea].

The article presents the life and work of Polish missionary of Saint Vincent a Paulo order, an ophthalmologist, Father Wacław Szuniewicz. He was born in 1891 in the Vilnius region. He completed his medical studies in Moscow in 1916.

[Hippocrates from Kos--ophthalmologic aspects in the work of the father of medicine].

The article presents the life and work of an outstanding physician of ancient Greece--Hippocrates of Kos (460-370 B.C.).

[Greek medicine in ancient times and its ophthalmological aspects].

The article presents the state of medical knowledge in ancient Greece. Sacred medicine related to the cult of Asclepius and the origin of secular medicine is described. Ophthalmological aspects concerning the anatomy of the eye, diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases are emphasized.

[Outline biography of a forgotten Polish doctor from Estonia].

The paper presents the figure of Polish doctor Władysław Wawrzyniec Mierzejewski who was born in 1841 in the province of Witebsk. He studied medicine in Petersburg. After graduation in the field of gynecology followed by the achievement of MD, he moved to the city of Kuressaare on the Saaremaa Island in 1876.

[Ophthalmology in the ancient river cultures. Was cataract surgery performed during the time of King Hammurabi?].

The article presents the state of ophthalmological knowledge in the Ancient River Cultures. Medical and ophthalmological information included in King Hammurabi Code is discussed. The author presents a critical analysis of the views related to the hypothesis of possible performance of cataract operation in Babylon during the Hammurabi period.

[Notes on the state of ophthalmology in the ancient Egypt].

The article presents the state of ophthalmological knowledge in the ancient Egypt. Medical and ophthalmological information included in Smith's and Ebers papyruses are discussed. The first ever known ophthalmologist by the name of Iry is mentioned.

[Phantom vision phenomenon].

The subject of the paper is the phenomenon of phantom vision. It occurs among the blind (or almost blind) and is characterised by perceiving various visual sensations, for example: light, geometrical shapes, buildings, people, flowers etc. The paper presents views explaining the generation of phantom vision.

[The role of the spontaneous occurrence of Pulfrich's stereophenomenon in the diagnosis of demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system].

Purpose: Checking the usefulness of the spontaneous occurrence of Pulfrich's stereophenomenon in the diagnosis of demyelinating diseases.

Material And Methods: Research embraced 22 patients with visual disturbances (including 9 patients with retrobulbar neuritis and others with anterior ischaemic neuropathy, central retinal vein occlusion, intrabulbar optic neuritis and traumatic atrophy of the optic nerve). The research also embraced 27 patients with demyelinating diseases (sclerosis multiplex).

Witelo--Polish vision scientist of the middle ages: father of physiological optics.

Unknown to the Western hemisphere, a Polish scientist, naturalist, anatomist, physiologist, philosopher and optician, Witelo, wrote an important ten volume manuscript, Peri-Optikes, usually cited in the literature as Perspectiva. This classic textbook was first published in 1535 in Nuremberg under the title: Vitellionis mathematici doctissimi ..

[Use of Pulfrich's stereo-phenomenon in determining stereoscopic vision].

Purpose: To check whether a test based on Pulfrich's stereophenomenon can be applied to determine stereopsy.

Material And Methods: The group of 24 patients with normal visual acuity and stereopsy and 15 with ambylopia without stereopsy were tested with Pulfrich's pendulum test.

Results: This method yielded 24 positive and 15 negative cases confirming the previous assessments.

[Evaluation of new intraocular lenses in a scanning microscope].

New posterior chamber lenses produced by 6 different companies, 3 from each, were examined in a Novoscan 30 scanning microscope. Practically in each lens irregularities of the surface of the haptic part were found and in many of them also in the optic part. The relatively smallest irregularities were observed in the lenses of the companies (in alphabetical order): Alcon, Domilens and Storz.

[Microsurgical modification of Allen's glaucoma operation].

The modified anti-glaucomatous operation, introduced its classical version by Allen, has been presented in this paper. The microsurgical version could be defined as micro-cyclodialysis with basal iridectomy, combined with the restoration of the anterior chamber. The surgery was performed in simple glaucoma and glaucoma in aphakic eyes.

Transmission of the normal and cataractous lenses.

Results of measurements of the transmission (total and in line) of cataractous lenses are presented. A magnitude is introduced which can be used as a measure of the in vitro opacity of lenses.