ESCRS - P214 - DR SQUIER LITTELL AND HIS WORK' A MANUAL OF THE DISEASES OF THE EYE'

DR SQUIER LITTELL AND HIS WORK' A MANUAL OF THE DISEASES OF THE EYE'

Published 2022 - 26th ESCRS Winter Meeting

Reference: P214 | Type: Abstracts | DOI: 10.82333/j2gs-bh48

Authors: Georgios N Balanikas* 1 , Dimitrios Pirounides 1 , Michael Angelou 2 , Petros Rasoglou 3 , Nikolaos Makris 2 , Dimitrios Christodoulou 4

1A' Ophthalmologic Clinic,AHEPA Hospital,Aristotle University ,Thessaloniki,Greece, 2Ophthalmologic Clinic,Ophthalmiatreio ,Athens,Greece, 3Ophthalmologic Clinic,Institute Ophthalmica,Thessaloniki,Greece, 4Laboratory of History of Medicine,Medical School, Aristotle University ,Thessaloniki,Greece

Purpose

 Dr Squier Littell Jr. was one of the pioneers in Ophthalmology in America and his work was based in his long experience from his service in Wills Hospital as well as in his private practice. Dr Littell considered as the father of Ophthalmology in the United States 

Setting

The facts took place at the Wills Hospital in the United States and this presentation was conceived and realized mainly in the first Ophthalmologic Clinic of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Methods

The first and second edition (1837, 1848 Philadelphia) from the work of S. Littell’s (1803-1886) ‘Manual of the diseases of the eye’ are the main sources for this presentation. His surgical skills, his educational and writing work are also objects of study of the present work. Biographical data are derived from the 1887 “Memoir of Squier Littell M.D.” written by his son-in-law, Andrew Douglass Hall, published in 1887 in the Transactions of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Results

Dr Littell was a founding member of Wills Hospital's surgical team 'For the Indigent Blind and Lame' from 1834. Three years later his work 'Manual of the Diseases of the Eye' was published based on his experience at Wills Hospital as well as his private. Littell's work was a milestone in the literature and practice of Ophthalmology in the 19th century, especially in English-speaking countries.The second edition appeared in 1846 and Littell was now recognized as a skilled ophthalmologist who contributed to the development of Ophthalmology with his important articles and articles in scientific journals and other books.

Conclusion

Squier Littell Jr. is widely regarded as the father of Ophthalmology and with his work ‘Manual of the diseases of the eye’, he marked the American literature and education, based on the rich experience he gained during his long tenure at Wills Hospital. He was also one of the first surgical team at Wills Hospital, which established its reputation  as one of the most brilliant Ophthalmological Institutions in the world. A pleasant surprise is the addition to his book of the vocabulary of the medical terms using, along with, and among others, their Greek etymological origin and Greek characters.