Rudolf Schirmer (10 March 1831,

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin and Neubrandenburg. In 2021 it surpa ...

– 27 January 1896) was a German

ophthalmologist 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 ...

from

. He initially studied medicine at the

University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; ), formerly known as Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Founded in 1456, it is one of th ...

, then furthered his studies at

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and

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. Later he returned to Greifswald, where he was habilitated for ophthalmology in 1860. In 1873 he attained the chair of ophthalmology, a position he held until his retirement in 1893. In 1885, he succeeded philosopher Wilhelm Schuppe as university rector at Greifswald. Schirmer is remembered for establishing

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 ...

as an independent discipline at Greifswald, as well as his research involving the anomalies of

refraction In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one transmission medium, medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commo ...

and accommodation of the eye. Also he performed extensive studies of diseases involving the

lacrimal apparatus The lacrimal apparatus is the physiological system containing the Orbit (anatomy), orbital structures for tears, tear production and drainage.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Co ...

. The term "Schirmer's syndrome" is employed to indicate the association of hydrophthalmia (early glaucoma) and

Sturge–Weber syndrome Sturge–Weber syndrome, sometimes referred to as encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis, is a rare congenital neurocutaneous disorder (also known as phakomatoses). It is often associated with port-wine stains of the face, glaucoma, seizures, intellect ...

. His son, Otto Schirmer (1864–1918) was also a professor of ophthalmology at Greifswald.

Publications

* ''Ein Fall von Telangiektasia''.

Albrecht von Graefe Albrecht von Graefe may refer to: * Albrecht von Graefe (ophthalmologist) (1828-1870), Prussian ophthalmologist * Albrecht von Graefe (politician) (1868-1933), German politician and landowner {{hndis, Graefe, Albrecht von ...

's Archiv für Ophtalmologie, 1860, 7: 119–121. - A case of

telangiectasia Telangiectasias (), also known as spider veins, are small dilated blood vessels that can occur near the surface of the skin or mucous membranes, measuring between 0.5 and 1 millimeter in diameter. These dilated blood vessels can develop anywhere ...

. * ''Die Lehre von den Refractions- und Accomodationsstörungen des Auges''. Berlin, 1866. Die Krankheiten der Thränenorgane. Graefe-Saemisch, Handbuch der Augenheilkunde. - The theory of refraction and accommodation disorders of the eye.Rudolf Schirmer - bibliography
@

Who Named It ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograp ...

References

External links

XVth Convention of the Julius-Hirschberg-Gesellschaft
(biography)
Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Cerebral Perfusion Abnormalities in Children With Sturge-Weber Syndrome * 1831 births 1896 deaths Prussian physicians 19th-century German physicians People from Greifswald German ophthalmologists University of Greifswald alumni Academic staff of the University of Greifswald Physicians from the Province of Pomerania {{Germany-med-bio-stub