ESTABLISHING OPHTHALMOLOGY AS A SCIENCE

BEER, JOSEPH G. (GEORG).

Lehre der Augenkrankheiten. Erster-Zweyter Theil. (1. Von den äusserlichen Krankheiten des Auges. 2. Von den innerlichen Krankheiten des Auges). Mit gemalten und ungemahlten Kupfern. 2 Bde.

Wien, Christian Friedrich Wappler, 1792.

Bound in 2 contemp. marbled boards. Spines gilt. Titlelables with gilt lettering. Very light wear along edges and spineends. XVI,408;(10),497,(2, Druckfehler) pp. and 16 folded engraved plates of which 11 are handcoloured, each with many figs. of eyes (in all 94). The 5 plain plates showing chirurgical apparatus. Some scattered brownspots. A few plates with a bit of offsetting, but a good copy. The colouring is exquisite, done by Beer himself.

Scarce first edition of this classic work in opthalmology, being the work which established ophthalmology as an independent scientific speciality. "Beer was outstanding in his clinical practise and as an author. He was the founder of the first ophthalmological school and clinc" (Albert and Blodi), and he became chairman of the first university eye department of the world (in Vienna).

"Beer is rembered for his text-book; the doctrines in it dominated practice for many years. He described the symptoms of glaucoma and noted the luminosity of the fundud in aniridia. He was a distinguished irisdectomist. many of his pupils became famus ophthalmic surgeons. Beer opened the first known eye hospital, in 1786, in Vienna." (Garrison & Morton 5842, describing only the later edition from 1813-17 "Lehre von den Augenkrankheiten).

Waller, 829. - This first edition not in Wellcome.

Order-nr.: 51050