Jules Gonin (10 August 1870 – May 1935) was a professor of

ophthalmology Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...

Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...

who pioneered the procedure of

ignipuncture Ignipuncture (Latin: ''Ignis'' (fire) + ''puncture'') is the procedure of closing a retinal separation by transfixation of the break via cauterization Cauterization (or cauterisation, or cautery) is a medical practice or technique of burning a ...

, the first successful surgery for the treatment of

retinal detachment Retinal detachment is a condition where the retina pulls away from the tissue underneath it. It may start in a small area, but without quick treatment, it can spread across the entire retina, leading to serious vision loss and possibly blindness. ...

Early life

Jules grew in a family with culture and religious faith. During his schooling he showed talent in languages. He spoke French, Swiss German, Latin and Greek. He also studied English, Spanish and Italian languages. He got enrolled in the College of Sciences in 1888 and studies medicine at the

University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; ) in Lausanne, Switzerland, was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second-oldest in Switzerland, and one of the oldest universities ...

. He earned distinction from university for his research studies on

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

. He entered the institute of Pathology in Lausanne. He developed interest in Ophthalmology and was offered training by Dr. Marc Dufour, then director of the Eye Hospital in Lausanne in 1896.

Nobel Prize

Gonin was nearly awarded the

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...

for his innovations in

surgery and according to some should have received it. He was seriously considered by the

Nobel Committee A Nobel Committee is a working body responsible for most of the work involved in selecting Nobel Prize laureates. There are six awarding committees from four institutions, one for each Nobel Prize. Five of these committees are working bodies ...

in 1934. A questionnaire on Gonin's research was sent to ophthalmic authorities around the world, among which all replied favourably, with one only exception. This is believed to have come from an envious countryman, who persuaded the committee to postpone the award for one year. However, he died unexpectedly in the spring of 1935, before the next prize was awarded.

Other honours

*The International Council of Ophthalmology established the eponymous Gonin Medal in 1941, which has been awarded quadrennially ever since. *The is named after him. *The very street of Lausanne that he used to walk from his home to the hospital every day is now named after him.

References

External links

*
Jules Gonin, MD
at www.ascrs.org 1870 births 1935 deaths Swiss ophthalmologists {{Switzerland-med-bio-stub