Cogan Ophthalmic History Society

34th Annual Meeting

Abstracts

Titles marked with a P* are available in the Proceedings volume for the year of presentation.  Contact Jenny Benjamin at the Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye (jbenjamin@aao.org) for further information.

Papers noted as being “Published as…” may not be identical to the Cogan Society presentation or the content in the Proceedings volumes. 

Snyder Lecture

Pamela C. Sieving

Nydia: The Blind Slave Girl of Pompeii

Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a British novelist who bridged the transition from Romantic to Victorian literature, is remembered today more for such expressions as “It was a dark and stormy night,” and “The pen is mightier than the sword” than for the

novels in which those sentences are to be found.   Inspired both by discoveries during the excavations of Pompeii, and the Briullov painting “The Last Day of Pompeii”, Bulwer-Lytton imagined life in Pompeii in the days before the catastrophic eruption in 79 CE in his novel The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). Central to his story is the character of Nydia, an enslaved young blind flower seller in Pompeii.  This novel, now justifiably mostly forgotten, was nevertheless one of the most popular works of the nineteenth century.   The tragic character of Nydia caught the public imagination, but also that of artists working in many other media.  She was immortalized in a marble sculpture in the mid 1850s by the American sculptor Randolph Rogers; his creation was perhaps the most popular American sculpture of the 19th century, with more than 150 copies known.  She appears in works of music, ranging from 19th century operas to 21st  century musicals, in films and TV series, and in other works of prose and poetry, including a graphic novel.  This lecture explores how the figure of Nydia and her blindness have been imagined by artists in word, image, and tone over more than a century.

Christopher Blodi

The Dynamic History of the Ophthalmology Residency Matching Program

Abstract: Background: The ophthalmology residency matching program is the first successful medical specialty match, dating back to 1979. This presentation reviews the impetus for starting the match and the roles that ophthalmologists Bruce Spivey, MD and August Colenbrander, MD, PhD played in establishing the match and developing the machinery to make it possible. Challenges to the match’s operation over the years have improved the process.
Methods: Oral and written interviews with key participants in establishing and maintaining the match were conducted. Primary and secondary written materials were reviewed.
Results: Two physicians played key roles in establishing the ophthalmology residency matching program. Bruce Spivey, MD, spearheaded the drive to persuade the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) to support and sponsor the match. August Colenbrander, MD, PhD created the original match algorithm and single-handedly ran the match process in the early years. Obstacles were overcome, including resistance from the Association of American Medical Colleges, a challenge to the validity of the algorithm and the threat that antitrust laws might prohibit all graduate medical education residency match programs. The ophthalmology match evolved over time to become a more formal entity, the San Francisco Matching Program (SF Match). With continued support of the AUPO, the process of matching applicants to residency programs has flourished despite contemporary challenges related to electronic applications and social media.
Conclusion: The ophthalmology residency matching program has benefited applicants and teaching programs for more than four decades due to visionary founders, ongoing support of the AUPO, and strong leadership within the SF Match.

Sophie Cohen; Robert Enzenauer

Dr. Max Kaplan: The Merging of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology

Abstract:  Dr. Max Kaplan was the first physician to do residencies in pediatrics and ophthalmology and practice as a pediatric ophthalmologist. Kaplan was born April 11, 1911, in Winslow, Indiana. His parents had immigrated to the US from eastern Europe before his birth. He grew up one of many siblings in a poor family, moving around from one Jewish community to the next, wherever his father could find work. Kaplan earned a full scholarship to the University of Rochester, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1933. He went on to receive a full scholarship to the University of Illinois medical school. He did his internship and pediatrics residency at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. On 14 July 1942, Dr. Kaplan was inducted into the US Army and served as a doctor during World War II. He spoke little of his war experiences; his son, Dr. David Kaplan, said he was too deeply moved by his experiences to share them. Kaplan was honorably discharged in 1947. After nine years as a pediatrician, he returned to Chicago once more, this time to study ophthalmology. With his newly acquired knowledge of ophthalmology coupled with his love of pediatrics, Kaplan began working at Rose Medical Center in Denver and would go on to serve as the president of their medical staff from 1965-1966, as well as help create their ophthalmic laboratory in 1969. He was instrumental in cultivating the subspecialty of pediatric ophthalmology, creating a close relationship with the Children’s Hospital, leading to their ultimate dedication of the “Max Kaplan Eye Clinic.” Dr. Kaplan was a leader in his field, a husband, father of two, grandfather of five. He served his country, his family, and his profession, and died February 10, 2004, at the age of 92. His was a life well lived.

Louise Collins

“Ain’t We Having a Time”: The Travel Journals of Dr. David Glendenning Cogan

Abstract: In September 2020, the Howe Library Director at Massachusetts Eye and Ear received a phone call from Priscilla Cogan, daughter of Dr. David Cogan. She had several boxes of her father’s journals, and asked if the Director would want to come take a look at them. Upon examination, the Director realized that this collection could become one of the most important held by the Archives.

Dr. Cogan was a highly sought-after speaker at medical meetings the world over, and the journals describe his experiences during these travels. In the journals, Cogan documents the people he met (many also giants in the field of ophthalmology), the lectures he gave/attended, the hospitals he visited, and the interesting cases he saw. He always took a keen interest in the country he was visiting, making time to travel extensively and experience the people, culture, and sights. The collection also includes over 100 photographs taken by Dr. Cogan.

During his travels, Cogan was a witness to many historical moments. For instance, he arrived in Kenya in the early days of the Mau Mau Uprising, a rebellion led by the Kenya Land and Freedom Army against British rule in Kenya. On March 14, 1953, he writes: “It is now fully a week since my last diary note. So much has happened that I shall have difficulty in recording their chronological sequence, to say nothing of the emotional and psychological aspects.”

This new collection is Cogan at his finest: eloquent, erudite, human. Not just his intellect, but his heart shines through on every page. The Howe Library is excited for the opportunity to share some of his rich stories and photographs with the Cogan Ophthalmic History Society.

Justus Gabriel; Robert Enzenauer

Historical Perspectives on Visual Hysteria

Abstract: Hysteria is defined as the unconscious creation or exaggeration of symptoms when there is little or no organic basis. This differs from malingering, which occurs when symptoms of an illness are purposely feigned. While perspectives on the diagnosis of visual hysteria have changed as medicine has evolved, the fundamental understanding of the disease has remained relatively constant. The physical causes of hysteria are largely unknown, but the disorder has been linked to trauma and stress so disturbing that the body unconsciously produces symptoms. Visual hysteria is currently designated as a conversion disorder and the potential co-existence of organic and psychological symptoms can make the diagnosis challenging. A 1955 study identified tubular vision as solely associated with hysteria. More recently, ophthalmologists have found that indicators such as tubular vision are not necessarily pathognomonic of the disorder. The diagnosis of hysteria became especially important in the context of military conscription and fit-for-duty exams during the first and second World Wars. A variety of studies found that visual hysterical disorders were diagnosed in vision tests during these conflicts. While this pattern may have been due to misdiagnoses of malingering recruits or service members who wished to escape the military, the trauma of armed conflict is known to cause functional disorders. Real or imagined, the diagnoses affected who fought in wars. Hysteria was recorded in military pilots and flight personnel where vision was strained, and long stressful hours were worked. Visual hysterical disorders have continued to be diagnosed in the 21st century military. Looking back on historical perspectives of visual hysteria helps us to better understand the continuing implications of the condition today both in and out of the military.

Leah Greenfield; Robert W. Enzenauer

Eye Surgeons Who Became Generals and Admirals: Spencer C. Dickerson (1871-1948)

Abstract: Brigadier General Spencer C. Dickerson, MD was born in Austin, Texas in 1871. He was one of the first Black graduates of the University of Chicago in 1897, after which he stayed in Chicago to attend Rush Medical College, graduating in 1901. After an intern year at Freedman’s hospital in Washington, DC and practicing in New Bedford, MA, he returned to Chicago in 1908 to become the first Black pathologist at Provident Hospital, the nation’s first Black-owned-and-operated hospital. He then returned to Rush as an assistant professor and specialist in eye, ear, nose, and throat in 1916.

He began his military career in 1914 by enlisting in the lowest grade of the sanitary department of the Eighth Illinois Infantry and Illinois National Guard, and was called into federal service for Mexican border duty in 1916 and WWI in 1917. Despite his qualifications as a physician, he did not serve as a medical officer until 1918, when he was promoted to captain in the medical corps during WWI. He continued to rise through the ranks as an infantry officer until 1929, when he became the first African American to achieve the rank of Brigadier General.

Upon medical discharge from WWI in 1919, he returned to Provident Hospital to practice as an ophthalmologist and otolaryngologist for 17 years, serving at various times as Department Chairman, Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Chairman Emeritus until his death in 1948. After his death from myocardial infarction at the age of 76, his colleagues could not agree on who should write his obituary, so two were included in the Journal of the National Medical Association. Dr. Carl G. Roberts described him as “the most altruistic and unselfish man I ever knew” and Dr. U.G. Daily remarked that “his devotion to others knew no bounds.”

John Lee

Two Giant Pioneers in Ophthalmology: East and West

Abstract: Although an ocean apart, two ophthalmologists stand out in their similarities. Both became renowned in the field of ophthalmology and had similar backgrounds that contributed to their success.
Byung Woo Kong, MD, PhD (1907-1995) from Seoul, South Korea received medical licensure at the age of 19. In Korea in the early 1900s, passing a three-part medical license exam qualified applicants to practice medicine. In 1936, he was one of the first Korean doctors of ophthalmology. By 1937, Kong founded the first private eye clinic in Korea.
Kong was a pioneer throughout his life. He was an inventor/developer of the Korean typewriter. As a renowned humanitarian, Kong established a rehabilitation center for the blind.
Dr. Kong’s transplanted corneas still live on, 120-plus years. His body was donated to the medical school and his skeleton remains on display.
Marshall M. Parks, MD (1918-2005) born in Old Mission, Michigan became the “father of pediatric ophthalmology.” He graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 1943. As a Navy doctor, he began taking care of the children’s eyes. He later did a preceptorship with Frank D. Costenbader, MD in Washington, DC.
Parks began the first pediatric ophthalmology fellowship training program in 1959 at Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC.
Both Dr. Kong and Dr. Parks experienced challenges of life. Both had twin brothers, who died at early ages, which had profound effects. Both survived near-death experiences themselves. Neither Dr. Kong nor Dr. Parks had professional training in their fields, just preceptor experience or none… self-taught.
Through hard work, timing, and opportunity, Dr. Kong and Dr. Parks excelled in their fields. They both were very efficient and productive. They have both made huge impacts.

Norman Medow

The Life and Times of Abraham Schlossman…”Abe”  

Abstract: Abraham Schlossman ...ABE...to all who knew him...was an integral and important part of the teaching faculty at Manhattan Eye Ear and Throat Hospital...MEETH...
His early years showed his resilience to fighting off the savage scourge of the time...Tuberculosis.
His thirst for knowledge and its assimilation, places him rightfully in the category of being a Renaissance Man !
Abe wrote about Strabismus, Ophthalmic History, Contact Lenses and together with his office associate Adolph Posner, penned the description of the disorder that now carries their names...THE POSNER SCHLOSSMAN SYNDROME.
Abe collected art, medical books, and was an aficionado of classical music, opera and ballet.
Abe loved to communicate...especially by voice...In this regard, he used a combination of tenses...i.e. the past, the present ,and the pluperfect all in a single sentence to make his point known!!
Abe was the strabismus attending that all residents had to do their initial surgical cases with...An experience to be remembered...and...I DO !
Abe was my mentor, later a colleague and ultimately my friend. He holds a special place in the memory of all who knew him---I would like you to join this group by learning more about him !..I believe you will enjoy it.

Frances Meier-Gibbons

The Most Famous Notebook in Ophthalmic History

Abstract: The beginning: Decades after the first discussion about the relationship between energy and radiation by Max Planck and Albert Einstein, Gordon Gould, having a master’s degree in optical spectroscopy from Yale University, was working on his thesis of spectroscopy of Thallium atoms in molecular radiation. The work progressed slowly, and he had time to think of another project: He wanted to transmit the principle of MASER (“Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”) by Charles Townes on a higher frequency level. While he realized that other researchers were working on the same project, he wrote his laboratory notes into a notebook and handed this to an attesting notary, thinking that it was sufficient and that he did not need to hand in a patent. In 1957 Gould created the expression LASER (“Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”) in the style of MASER. The problem: Gould did not apply for a patient for laser. However, at the same time, Charles Townes was working in the same field and applied for a patent in July 1958, together with the Arthur Leonard Schawlow and got the patent in 1960. Gould started a lawsuit against Townes saying that he finalized all the ideas in the famous notebook in 1957 and therefore he, Gould, should have gotten the patent. The solution: After a 20 - year legal battle, Gould (with the help of his employer Technical Research Group) got his first basic patent for laser in 1977 and the success story continued. The laser industry had to pay him finally millions of dollars of compensation. Other famous notebooks: Many scientists and researchers are known for their notebooks: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Charles Darwin (1809-1882), Thomas Edison (1847-1931) and Albert Einstein (1879-1955) left their notes to posterity.

Rajeev H. Muni; Alvaro Fernandez-Vega Gonzalez

The History of Pneumatic Retinopexy: Have We Come Full Circle?

Abstract : The historical literature on the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) was reviewed from 1911 to the present, focusing on the role of intravitreal air and gas. The history of the pneumatic retinopexy (PnR) technique is described from its original roots to the current day procedure. The treatment of RRD has evolved tremendously over the past century. The introduction of intravitreal gas as a tamponade to reattach the retina was critical in the development of modern day PnR. Although PnR is not a new technique, relatively recent randomized trials have demonstrated the numerous advantages of this procedure compared to pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and scleral buckle. From a historical perspective, PnR has its origin in 1911 when Ohm performed intravitreal air injection after external subretinal fluid drainage in an attempt to treat RRD. The evolution of the procedure was driven by the introduction and experience with inert expansile intravitreal gas injections, and several great surgeons made critical contributions to the development of the procedure. There is substantial controversy pertaining to the original description of PnR in the literature. Credit has generally been given to Hilton and Grizzard from the United States, although Alfredo Dominguez from Spain published the first description of the procedure and he went to great lengths in an attempt to be rightfully recognized for this. The first randomized trial in retinal detachment repair was led by Dr. Paul Tornambe, comparing PnR to scleral buckle and an additional randomized trial was subsequently carried out demonstrating functional advantages of PnR compared to PPV.

 Steven Newman

The Development of the Slit Lamp

Materials and Methods: Although we have tried to use some of the primary sources going back to the early development, much of this relates to secondary sources, in particular M.L. Berliner, Biomicroscopy of the Eye published by Paul Hoeber, London 1943. Introduction: The development of the slit lamp was the most important addition to ophthalmology between the ophthalmoscope and CT scan/OCT. Chronologic history: On August 3, 1911 Gullstrand presented his first model of the slit lamp in Heidelberg. Oblique illumination was picked up by von Graefe in 1854 when an article on cataracts mentioned the appearance of a yellowish nucleus. Liebreich presented a comprehensive discussion of the methods and suggested its adoption by all ophthalmologists. Liebreich used a Schick microscope to obtain magnification of up to 90 times. He also realized that changing the angle between the axis of beam and observation different parts of the anterior segment could be seen in detail. Further improvements were made in 1891 by H. Aubert with a binocular corneal microscope a in Heidelberg. In the last d 19th century, it was realized that increased magnification would not help and the default really lay with the method of illumination. It was Gullstrand who later demonstrated that it was impossible to obtain a truly focused beam by using oblique illumination with a single simple condensing lens. Lacquer, in an article in Norris and Oliver published in 1897 discussed the value of the corneal microscope. Because of the difficulty of the microscope, many earlier adopters used a loop lens for observing anterior ocular structures including Freddie Verhoeff. Vogt adopted Kohler’s system of illumination to the biomicroscope using a coiled tungsten filament Nitra bulb. Conclusions: Development of oblique candescent illumination combined with a binocular microscope permitted a revolution in examination of the anterior segment, cornea, anterior chamber and lens, but also of the retina.

Mildred MG Olivier; Eydie Miller Ellis

Overcoming a History of Discrimination in the Medical Training Pipeline and Identifying the Leadership of African American Ophthalmologists in Addressing Health Care Disparities

Abstract: Insights from the history of the National Medical Association (NMA), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and American Ophthalmological Society (AOS) are crucial to understanding the impact of race on medical practice and to enhancing efforts to address disparities in healthcare. Issues: Identifying the contributions of African American medical pioneers to medical and ophthalmological leadership is crucial to fostering inclusive physicians. Background: The NMA’s Ophthalmology section has been in existence for over a century but few physicians know the history and legacy of its founders and their contributions to the profession. The NMA was formed in 1895 because the AMA excluded physicians of color as members. The AAO in conjunction with the NMA, has made significant strides both in leadership and workforce diversity. Yet, the 13% Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) physician population still does not reflect the 30% minority population in the United States. Methods: Work with NMA, AAO, and AOS researchers to identify information regarding the early African American pioneers in the field of ophthalmology, document the continuing legacy of their contributions, and show their efforts towards developing a diverse workforce and address health disparities. Identification of insights into how to make ophthalmology more inclusive can thus be identified. Conclusions: Explore ways to document and educate these findings and discuss future programming to combat the workforce issue such as the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring (MOM) and the National Medical Association's Rabb-Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology programs.

Tracy Ravin; James Ravin; Guillermo Simon Castellvi; Anna Maria Carmona-Cornet

The Cataract Surgery of Empress Eugenie (1826-1920)

Abstract: Empress Eugenie (1826-1920), the widow of Emperor Napoleon III of France, developed mature cataracts late in life. In 1920, at age 94, she underwent surgery to one eye by Ignacio Barraquer (1884-1965), a member of the famous dynasty of ophthalmologists originally from Barcelona, Spain. Barraquer used his new instrument which employed a vacuum cup to hold the lens for intra-capsular extraction.

Gill Roper-Hall

Eduard Hummelsheim (1868 -1952): Ophthalmologist and Pioneer of Ocular Muscle Transposition Surgery

Abstract: The name Hummelsheim is instantly recognizable to anyone in the field of ophthalmology especially those performing extraocular muscle surgery. Hummelsheim was a German ophthalmologist from the University of Bonn and is associated with the first description of eye muscle transposition to correct abducens paralysis.

Initially called transplantation, the first description is attributed to Motais in 1898 who used the technique to repair ptosis. Jackson in 1903 was the first to use this technique on an extraocular muscle, transposing the superior rectus muscle temporally and superiorly to correct superior oblique palsy and later transposing the superior oblique muscle in cases of third nerve palsy.

Hummelsheim presented and published his own surgical technique in 1907, describing a split tendon procedure transposing the lateral halves of the vertical rectus muscles to the insertion of the paralyzed lateral rectus muscle. This technique formed the basis for all successive procedures by later authors when there is complete abduction paralysis and non-contractility of the lateral rectus muscle.

This paper will highlight Hummelsheim’s family and medical background, his surgical techniques for extraocular muscle transposition, and descriptions of the many modifications of his original approach by subsequent authors, including those techniques in common use today..

Manan Sampat

The Sushruta Samhita: Cataract Surgery and Sanskrit Galore Yet Much More

Abstract: The Sushruta Samhita is an ancient Indian account of numerous illnesses and their surgical and medical treatments composed in Sanskrit. The treatise serves as a compendium of the systemic and specialized medical knowledge of India dating back to several millennia ago. To the interest of ophthalmologists and historians, its descriptions of cataracts and their surgical treatments have been well recognized and even debated in the English-based medical and historical literature of the 20th and 21st centuries. However, a myriad of ophthalmic disorders and treatments aside from cataract and cataract surgery, such as those pertaining to oculoplastics and ocular surface disease, have been all too often left unmentioned. As both a Sanskrit enthusiast and a practicing ophthalmologist, I aim to highlight the lesser-known aspects of the work. This presentation will attempt to present the original Sanskrit terms alongside the most apt corresponding ophthalmic terms used today. Its poetic features will also be appreciated because, as is the case with many scientific treatises of ancient India, the Sushruta Samhita too is replete with verses composed in complex Sanskrit meter. For ophthalmic historians and Sanskrit connoisseurs alike, the Samhita is a marvel that deserves a more holistic appreciation, without which we may remain confined to a mere cataractous portrayal of the work.

Page last updated May 2, 2023