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A Landmark Article

James G. Ravin, MD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2005;123:544-545.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

INTRODUCTION

A century ago, the ARCHIVES published an important paper by Henry "Jullundur" Smith, MD (1859-1948), "Extraction of cataract in the capsule."¹ At that time, most cataract surgeons incised the anterior lens capsule and removed the nucleus, leaving the posterior capsule behind. Many complications were known to be less severe when the posterior capsule remained intact. Unfortunately, however, the capsule became opaque postoperatively in nearly every case of an immature cataract because there was no good method of removing cortical material from the posterior capsule.

When Hermann Knapp, MD (1832-1911), the editor of the ARCHIVES, accepted Smith’s article for publication, he wrote Smith, "If you can establish a safe method of intracapsular extraction of cataract, you will be a greater benefactor to mankind than Daviel."² Debatably, the most important date in the history of ophthalmic surgery is April 8, 1747, when Jacques Daviel (1696-1792) . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Author Affiliations: Medical College of Ohio, Toledo.