Danish Ophthalmology - from start to 1865.

This short paper mentioned the medical treatment using the 'holy' springs, the first 'eye doctor' in Denmark, the first picture of spectacles which was found in Viborg Cathedral of the high priest before he performs circumcisio praeputii on Jesus Christ, further cataract reclination in Denmark from around year zero and cataract extraction in 1667 in Denmark on a goose by Francisco Borri and on humans by the Danish Georg Heuermann in 1755. Epidemic military eye diseases in 1807, 1856 and 1865 are also described in this study. From 1856, a new ophthalmological period started in Denmark with the first eye hospital (lazaret only for eye diseases), and in 1864, patients with eye diseases were transported from the few beds in the surgical departments in the municipal hospital to the first civil eye department in Denmark, the eye hospital Sct.

Acta Ophthalmologica: History 1970-88.

This is my personal memories concerning the Nordic periodical Acta Ophthalmologica in the period 1970-88. Poul Braendstrup was scientific secretary for Acta 1950-70 and chief editor 1970-75. His many important scientific works and enormous work for Acta is described, but also personal topics are mentioned.

History of Acta Ophthalmologica - the first 50 years.

Acta Ophthalmologica appeared as the scientific journal of the Nordic ophthalmological Societies in 1923. The intention was to expose the clinical and experimental developments among the ophthalmological communities of the four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The collaboration within the field of ophthalmology had been attempted with the publication of 'Nordisk ophthalmologisk Tidsskrift' in the years 1889-1892.

[The glaucoma theory of CF Heerfordt].

Based on numerous microscopical slides from two eyes from two patients suffering from "inflammatory" glaucoma Christian Frederik Heerfordt (1871-1953) put forward his very original theory in 1910-14: Some cases of intractable glaucoma are caused by occlusion of one (or two) vortex veins, sometimes with a flap, a sino- scleral plate into the sinus ( ampulla). Surgical treatment could be iridectomy in the sector with the occlusion, or perhaps better by blood- letting of the occluded vortex- vein. Heerfordts theory was damned by the Danish Ophthalmological Society as un-scientific and the messages in the danish newspapers un- etical.

[Dark visions and adaptation in Danish ophthalmology 1889-1940].

The scotopticometer is a small, light and handy instrument from 1935, which was developed in Denmark by Carsten Edmund Zeuthen (1897-1973) and Hans Ulrik Møller (1894-1954) for the measurement of dark vision without the use of a dark chamber. The prerequisites are Jannik Bjerrum's contrast letters from 1889 and Marius Tscherning's photometric neutral-gray filter-glasses with a logaritmic scale (Ph 1-8); both Bjerrum (1851-1920) and Tscherning (1854-1939) were Danish ophthalmologists. Tescherning's basic experiments and theories are reported, based on a study of his scientific publications, scientific protocols, letters and scrapbook.

Marius Tscherning (1854-1939): his life and work in optical physiology.

Background: This article is based on Tscherning's papers, scientific protocols and letters and the many original instruments kept in the Medical History Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

History: In 1884, after his thesis concerning the frequency of myopia in Denmark, Tscherning became adjunct director of the ophthalmological laboratory at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He was called back to Denmark in 1910 and appointed professor of ophthalmology and head of the Eye Department, Rigshospitalet.

[Analysis of iris: history and future].

Analysis of the iris has ancient roots, but iridology in its present sense was established by Philippi Meyers in 1670. The discipline was further developed by Ignaz Péczely in 1881 and by Nils Liljequist in 1890. Other studies have been published in Germany, Sweden, Norway, England, France, USA, Australia and elsewhere, and iridology is practiced worldwide.

[Space perception: the history and its significance for art].

Some aspects of the opthalmologic history of Denmark are briefly mentioned. Lens extraction in 1667 in Copenhagen, Edmund Hansen Gruts stereoophtalmoscopy in 1857, Ludvig Panums area in 1858 (single vision) space perception and outside this area double vision), squint treatment, Marius Tschernings periscopic spectacle lenses, Henning Rønnes stereoortograph and keiroscope and Gerhard Rønnes stereoscope. Space perception depends mostly on binocular function (convergens), but in fact some space perception occurs in vision due to perspective, accommodation, parallaxe, blurring, colours and shadows.

Objects relating to the Danish Ophthalmological Society at the Medical History Museum.

Some of the objects from the Medical History Museum, University of Copenhagen, concerned with the century-old Danish Ophthalmological Society are mentioned, together with some objects concerned with our predecessors. Jannik Bjerrum's campimeter at 1-2 m-distance reveals glaucomatous arcuate scotoma. [figure: see text] Marius Tscherning's many scientific papers and his ophthalmophacometer (also measuring accommodation), abberoscope, adaptoscope, colour vision, punctual meniscen spectacle glasses etc.

The Society's archives.

The archives and minutes of the Ophthalmological Society have now been donated to the Medical History Museum of the University of Copenhagen. The first two minutes in the archives are hand-written and cover the period 1900-52. The third minute, mainly typewritten, goes up to 1971.