Jonas Friedenwald And His Great Contribution To Ophthalmic Pathology

We present the life, career, and recognition of Jonas Friedenwald, a pioneer in ophthalmic pathology, and his major work” On the Pathology of the Eye”.

Jonas Friedenwald was born in Baltimore on June 1, 1897. His great-grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1824. Jonas was a member of a distinguished Jewish family dedicated to science and letters. His grandfather, Aaron Friedenwald, is considered one of the first ophthalmologists to practice in Baltimore in 1862 to combine the general practice of medicine with the treatment of eye disease. His work covers fifteen chapters from ocular inflammations, phthisis,focal and specific infections, injuries of the eye, cataract, glaucoma,retinal detachment,diseases of cornea, and conjuctiva.

This work was caught and conceived in the A’ Ophthalmologic Clinic of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in AHEPA Hospital, and the facts took place in the USA during the 20th century 

The work of Jonas Friedenwald is the central point of this presentation, along with his career and lifetime scientific course, a rich one. His multidimensional contribution was not only in the field of anatomy, pathology, and ophthalmology but also in the interpretation and understanding of many diseases, including cataracts, uveitis, complicated cataract surgery, and endophthalmitis after infection. Beyond them, he studied senile changes of the vessels and the lens, arteriosclerosis, metabolic diseases, nutritional and endocrine gland deficiencies, and bone anomalies. He studied ocular adnexa, hereditary diseases, and tumors.

In 1927, at a young age, he published his work on the Pathological Anatomy of the Eye. In the preface to the work, he noted that it constitutes the bridge from general pathological anatomy to the specific pathology of the eye. With his research and study, he helped the ophthalmic surgeons for cataract surgery to prevent or manage endophthalmitis and with his detailed studies of ophthalmic anatomy, to know better the eye and its structure. He developed in his appendix the microscopic technique for the study of tissue and the whole procedure of the specimen's process.

Jonas Friedenwald was a great scientist, researcher, and physician who left a strong mark on medicine. Born into a family of physicians, he excelled in pathological anatomy, bacteriology, and eye conditions, helping all the ophthalmic surgeons to know better the structure of the eye and to avoid catastrophic complications  after major or minor surgical procedures. Unfortunately he died young on November 5, 1955. He was 58 years old leaving a rich scientific inheritance