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John Cunningham Saunders, M.D. (10 October 1773 – 10 February 1810) was an English surgeon and oculist, best known for his pioneering work on the surgery of
Ophthalmology in the British IslesMoorfields Eye Hospital
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, John Cunningham 1773 births 1810 deaths British ophthalmologists People from Torridge District Medical doctors from Devon
John Cunningham Saunders, M.D. (10 October 1773 – 10 February 1810) was an English surgeon and oculist, best known for his pioneering work on the surgery of cataracts
A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...
. He founded the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital, now known as Moorfields Eye Hospital
Moorfields Eye Hospital is a specialist NHS eye hospital in Finsbury in the London Borough of Islington in London, England run by Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Together with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, which is adjacen ...
.
Origins
He was born on 10 October 1773 at Huish, Devon, England, the second son of John Cunningham Saunders (1737-Sept.1783), Esquire, of Lovistone in the parish of Huish, by his wife Jane (1742-1808). The mural monument of John Cunningham Saunders, Senior, survives in the Church of St James the Less, Huish, displaying the arms of Saunders (''Sable, a chevron ermine between three bull's faces cabossed or'')impaling
Impalement, as a method of torture and execution, is the penetration of a human by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, often by the complete or partial perforation of the torso. It was particularly used in response to "crimes aga ...
those of his wife (''Gules, three quatrefoils or''). The will of an earlier John Cunningham Saunders "Gentleman of Great Torrington , Devon", near Huish, was proved on 14 April 1744. These are a differenced version of the arms of William Saunders (d.1481) of Charlwood in Surrey, (''Sable, a chevron ermine between three bull's faces cabossed argent'') who married Joan Carew, one of the daughters and co-heiresses of the prominent Thomas Carew of Beddington in Surrey. His great-grandson was Sir Thomas Sanders (sic) (fl.1653).
Career
In 1805, ''"Out of compassion for the pitiful state of many soldiers returning from the Egyptian campaign afflicted with militaryophthalmoplegia
Ophthalmoparesis refers to weakness (-paresis) or paralysis (-plegia) of one or more extraocular muscles which are responsible for eye movements. It is a physical finding in certain neurologic, ophthalmologic, and endocrine disease.
Internal ...
and trachoma
Trachoma is an infectious disease caused by bacterium '' Chlamydia trachomatis''. The infection causes a roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. This roughening can lead to pain in the eyes, breakdown of the outer surface or cornea of ...
infections"'', he founded the "London Dispensary for Curing Diseases of the Eye and Ear", a famous teaching institution, later known variously as the "Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital", the "London Eye Infirmary", today known as Moorfields Eye Hospital
Moorfields Eye Hospital is a specialist NHS eye hospital in Finsbury in the London Borough of Islington in London, England run by Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Together with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, which is adjacen ...
, of which Saunders remained the director from its founding in 1805 until his death in 1810.
In 1809, he became one of the first people in England to use belladonna for its mydriatic
Mydriasis is the dilation of the pupil, usually having a non-physiological cause, or sometimes a physiological pupillary response. Non-physiological causes of mydriasis include disease, trauma, or the use of certain types of drugs.
Normally, as ...
properties to facilitate cataract extraction
Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens of the eye (also called "crystalline lens") that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract, and its replacement with an intraoc ...
.
Death and burial
He died on 10 February 1810 and was buried in St Andrew's Church, Holborn,City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
, near the hospital he founded. The church at Huish in Devon contains an inscribed mural monument to him.
Works
His book; ''A Treatise on some Practical Points Relating to the Diseases of the Eye.'' was publishedposthumous
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' ...
ly in 1811, edited by his colleague John Richard Farre
John Richard Farre (31 January 1775 – 7 May 1862) was an English physician.
Early life
The son of Richard John Farre, a medical practitioner, he was born on 31 January 1775 in Barbados. After school education in the island he studied medicin ...
. It was printed at the expense of the Governors of the Hospital, by subscription, to aid the author's widow.
References
Ophthalmology in the British Isles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, John Cunningham 1773 births 1810 deaths British ophthalmologists People from Torridge District Medical doctors from Devon