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The First Cataract Surgeons in the British Isles.
Am J Ophthalmol. 2021 10; 230:75-122.AJ

Abstract

PURPOSE

To describe the entry of cataract surgery into the British Isles.

METHODS

Handbills, books, and other historical sources were reviewed to determine when cataract surgery was first performed in the region.

RESULTS

Roman artifacts suggest that couching was performed in the British Isles in antiquity. Seemingly miraculous cures of blindness during the early Middle Ages might be consistent with couching. However, there is no strong evidence of medieval cataract surgery in the region. Cataract couching probably arrived in England by the 1560s, in Scotland by 1595, in Ireland by 1684, and in Anglo-America by 1751. Before the 18th century, cataract surgery was taught within families, apprenticeships, and mountebank troupes. Beginning in the 17th century, congenital cataract surgery permitted surgeons to tout their skills and to explore visual perception. However, in some cases, such as the couching of the 13-year-old Daniel Dolins by surgeon William Cheselden in 1727, whether the cataracts were truly congenital, and whether vision improved in any way, remain in doubt. Beginning in the 1720s, cataract surgery began to be performed by traditional surgeons in hospitals. However, for most of the century, the highest-volume cataract surgeons continued to be itinerant oculists, including those who performed cataract extraction in the latter half of the century.

CONCLUSIONS

Cataract surgery might have been performed in Roman Britain. Specific evidence of cataract surgery emerges in the region in the Elizabethan era. Cataract extraction was performed in the British Isles by 1753, but couching remained popular throughout the 18th century. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Leffler CT
Departments of Ophthalmology, Human and Molecular Genetics, and Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA. Electronic address: chrislefflermd@gmail.com.
Schwartz SG
Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Naples, Florida, USA.
Peterson E
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Couser NL
Departments of Ophthalmology, Human and Molecular Genetics, and Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Salman AR
Departments of Ophthalmology, Human and Molecular Genetics, and Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.

MeSH

AdolescentCataractCataract ExtractionEnglandHumansOphthalmologySurgeons

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

33744237

Citation

Leffler, Christopher T., et al. "The First Cataract Surgeons in the British Isles." American Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 230, 2021, pp. 75-122.
Leffler CT, Schwartz SG, Peterson E, et al. The First Cataract Surgeons in the British Isles. Am J Ophthalmol. 2021;230:75-122.
Leffler, C. T., Schwartz, S. G., Peterson, E., Couser, N. L., & Salman, A. R. (2021). The First Cataract Surgeons in the British Isles. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 230, 75-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2021.03.009
Leffler CT, et al. The First Cataract Surgeons in the British Isles. Am J Ophthalmol. 2021;230:75-122. PubMed PMID: 33744237.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - The First Cataract Surgeons in the British Isles. AU - Leffler,Christopher T, AU - Schwartz,Stephen G, AU - Peterson,Eric, AU - Couser,Natario L, AU - Salman,Abdul-Rahman, Y1 - 2021/03/17/ PY - 2020/11/09/received PY - 2021/03/03/accepted PY - 2021/3/22/pubmed PY - 2022/1/27/medline PY - 2021/3/21/entrez SP - 75 EP - 122 JF - American journal of ophthalmology JO - Am J Ophthalmol VL - 230 N2 - PURPOSE: To describe the entry of cataract surgery into the British Isles. METHODS: Handbills, books, and other historical sources were reviewed to determine when cataract surgery was first performed in the region. RESULTS: Roman artifacts suggest that couching was performed in the British Isles in antiquity. Seemingly miraculous cures of blindness during the early Middle Ages might be consistent with couching. However, there is no strong evidence of medieval cataract surgery in the region. Cataract couching probably arrived in England by the 1560s, in Scotland by 1595, in Ireland by 1684, and in Anglo-America by 1751. Before the 18th century, cataract surgery was taught within families, apprenticeships, and mountebank troupes. Beginning in the 17th century, congenital cataract surgery permitted surgeons to tout their skills and to explore visual perception. However, in some cases, such as the couching of the 13-year-old Daniel Dolins by surgeon William Cheselden in 1727, whether the cataracts were truly congenital, and whether vision improved in any way, remain in doubt. Beginning in the 1720s, cataract surgery began to be performed by traditional surgeons in hospitals. However, for most of the century, the highest-volume cataract surgeons continued to be itinerant oculists, including those who performed cataract extraction in the latter half of the century. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgery might have been performed in Roman Britain. Specific evidence of cataract surgery emerges in the region in the Elizabethan era. Cataract extraction was performed in the British Isles by 1753, but couching remained popular throughout the 18th century. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society. SN - 1879-1891 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/33744237/The_First_Cataract_Surgeons_in_the_British_Isles_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -