- A dictionary of medical eponyms

Herman Snellen

Born  1834
Died  1908

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Dutch ophthalmologist, born February 19, 1834, Zeist (Utrecht); died January 18, 1908.

Biography of Herman Snellen

Herman Snellen was the son of the well known and popular physician,Dr. F. A. Snellen. He studied medicine in Utrecht under Gerard Johann Mulder (1802-1880), Jacobus Ludovicus Conradus Schroeder van der Kolk (1797-1862) and Franz Cornelis Donders (1818-1889). He received his medical doctorate at Utrecht in 1858.

Snellen settled in Utrecht and soon turned his attention to ophthalmology. The year he obtained his doctorate he received a position as assistant physician in the ophthalmological clinic – Nederlandsch Gasthuis voor Ooglijders – in Utrecht. In 1862 he became primary physician and in 1884 director of the institution, of which he was leader until 1903. Besides this he pursued an academical career. Already in 1858, the year of his promotion, he was habilitated for ophthalmology and in 1877 was appointed professor of this discipline at the University og Utrecht.

Snellen left behind a very comprehensive work in his special field, among them works on astigmatismus, glaucoma, inflammation, diseases of the retina and connective tissue. He also concerned himself with the calculations of eyeglasses, as well as ophthalmological surgery. In 1899 he directed an international congress of ophthalmologist in Utrecht, and that year laid down his professorship, while still being scientifically active intil his death in 1908.

Today Snellen is still remembered for the Snellen chart. Test types were invented in 1843 by Heinrich Kuechler (1811-1873) and were improved by the Vienna oculist Eduard Jaeger Ritter von Jaxtthal (1818-1884) in 1854. Shortly after this Herman Snellen invented his chart of square shaped letters. This chart soon gained acceptance in all civilized countries.

Bibliography

  • Onderzoekingen over den invloed van den N. vagus op de ademalingsbewgingen.
    Nederlandsch Lancet, s’Gravenhage, 1854.
  • Sclerose van den maagwand. Nederlandsch Lancet, s’Gravenhage, 1855.
  • Hypertrophie van het rechterhart, gediagnostiseerd als aneurisma aortae.
    Nederlandsch Lancet, s’Gravenhage, 1855.
  • Einfluss der Nerven auf die Entzündung.
    Archiv für die holländischen Beiträge zur Natur- und Heilkunde, Utrecht, 1855.
  • Experimentelle Untersuchungen über den Einfluss der Nerven auf die Entzündung. 1857:
  • Diss. de invloed der der zenuwen op de ontsteking proefondervindelyk getoetst. Doctoral dissertation, Utrecht, 1858.
  • De aandoeningen van cornea en conjunctiva.
    Verslag (Jaarlijksch) betrekelijk de verpleging en ‘t onderwijs in het Nederlandsch Gasthuis voor Ooglijders, Utrecht, 1860.
  • Iridesis, Entropion-naad. Verslag (Jaarlijksch) betrekelijk de verpleging en ‘t onderwijs in het Nederlandsch Gasthuis voor Ooglijders, Utrecht, 1862.
  • Optotypi ad visum determinandum.
    Utrecht, 1862. Translated into Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese – all in several editions. Ed. Nona, 1888. 18th English edition, London, 1906; 18. German edition, Stettin, 1902.
    German translation: Probebuchstaben zur Betimmung der Sehschärfe. Utrecht, P. W. van de Weijer, 1862.
  • Het geneeskundig onderzoek omtrent de geschicktheid voor den krygsdienst.
    Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, Amsterdam, 1863, 1864.
  • De neuro-paralytische oogontseking, welke zich by trigeminusparalyse ontwikkelt.
    Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, Amsterdam, 1864.
    German: Ueber die neuroparalytische Augenentzündung, nach Durchschneidung des N. Trigeminus.
  • De heschiednis der oogziekten in de Rijksgestichten Veenhuizen en Ommerschans.
    Verslagen Nederlandsch Geneeskunde voor ooglijders, 1864.
  • Aaneengroeying van niet corresponderende zenuwezelen, na intra-craniele doorsnyding van het vyfde paar.
    With Bosow. Archief voor Genees- en Naturkunde, 1865.
  • Utrecht’s bronnen van luchtbederf.
    Archief voor Genees- en Naturkunde, 1865.
  • Locale uitbreiding der cholera-epidemie.
    Archief voor Genees- en Naturkunde, 1865.
  • Losmaken van acute synechia anterior.
    Archief voor Genees- en Naturkunde, 1866.
  • Kan de cholera op dieren worden overgebracht.
    With H. G. Miller. Archief voor Genees- en Naturkunde, 1868.
  • Die Richtung der Hauptmeridiane des astigmatischen Auges.
    [Albrecht von Graefes] Archiv für Ophthalmologie, Berlin, 1874.
  • Die Stokes’sche Linse mit constanter Axe.
    [Albrecht von Graefes] Archiv für Ophthalmologie, Berlin, 1874.
  • Ueber die Durchschneidung der Cilianerven bei anhaltender Neuralgie eines amaurotischen Auges.
    [Albrecht von Graefes] Archiv für Ophthalmologie, Berlin, 1874.
  • Ophthalmometrie. Die Functionsprüfungen des Auges.
    With Edmund Landolt (1846-1926).
    Graefe-Saemisch, Handbuch der gesamten Augenheilkunde, 3rd part, 1874.
  • Das Phakometer zur Bestimmung von Focus und Centrum der Brillengläser.
    [Zehender's] Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, 1876.
  • Gleichseitige monoculäre Prüfung bei den Augen mittelst farbiger Sehproben.
    Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, 1877.
  • Over de methode der oogheelkundige kliniek.
    German: Ueber die Methode der klinischen Ophthalmologie.
    Inaugural address, University og Utrecht, 1877.
  • Sympathische Opthalmie.
    Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, Amsterdam, 1881.
  • Progressive Schoolbanken.
    Verslagen van de Vereeniging tot Verbetering der Volksgezondheit, Utrecht. 1883.
  • Myotica en Sclerotomie by Glaucoma. Festbundel voor Donders. 1888.
  • Die Behandlung des Glaukoms. Heidelberger Kongress, 1888.
  • A historical Essay on the Development of our present knowledge of Glaucoma.
    Ophthalmic Review, London, 1891.
  • Ueber Beschränkung der Konvergenz und der Akkomodation bei seitlichen Blick.
    Heidelberger ophthalm. Verein, 1891.
  • Over den aard en den umvang der neiuwere oogheelkunde. Utrecht, 1892.
  • Ueber Nachbilder. Heidelberger ophthalm. Verein, 1893.
  • De operatieve behandeling van het Glaucoma en haar beteekenis. Utrecht, 1893.
  • Subconjunctival Treatment of operative and traumatic wounds of cornea and sclerotic.
    8th International ophthalmological Congress, Edinburgh, 1894.
  • Discours d’ouverture de la Conférence internationale, concernant les services sanitaires des chemins de fer et de la navigation. 1895.
  • Notes on Vision and retinal perception; being the Bowman Lecture 1896.
    Ophthal. Soc., 16.
  • The Methods of determining the acuteness of vision.
    In part 3 of: Systems of the diseases of the eye. Philadelphia, U.S.A., 1897.
  • Die Behandlung des Keratokonus.
    Albrecht von Graefes Archiv für Ophthalmologie, Berlin, 1897.
  • Erythropsie.
    Albrecht von Graefes Archiv für Ophthalmologie, Berlin, 1897.
  • Handleiding bij het oogheelkundig onderzoeg. Groningen, 1897. Snellen published many articles in the oogh. Bydragen uitgegeven door het Nederlandsch ooghelkundig gezelschap, 1896 to 1899:
  • Discours d’ouverture du 9 me Congrès interantional d’ophthalmologie.
    Utrecht, 1899.
  • De voltooiing van het Ned. Gasth. voor Ooglyders. Utrecht, 1899.
  • De geschiednis der nieuwere oogheelkunde in Nederland. Utrecht, 1899.

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