The history & traditions of the Moorfields Eye Hospital

"The history & traditions of the Moorfields Eye Hospital" by E. Treacher Collins is a historical account written in the early 20th century. It charts the first century of Moorfields Eye Hospital, weaving its institutional traditions with advances in ophthalmology and portraits of the surgeons who shaped both. Readers can expect a chronologically told story of founding, growth, clinical innovation, teaching, and influence at home and abroad. The opening of the book sets out its purpose: to record Moorfields’ traditions alongside the major discoveries in eye care, told as a continuous narrative and grounded in hospital minutes, biographies, and professional journals. It then recounts how John Cunningham Saunders, with John Richard Farre and Richard Battley and under the encouragement of Astley Cooper, founded a dispensary for diseases of the eye and ear in response to a nationwide surge of ophthalmia and the paucity of competent care. After contrasting reputable surgery with itinerant “oculists,” the narrative traces the proposal, committee support, opening in Charterhouse Square, and an early rivalry with a West End infirmary. The next section profiles Saunders’ work: quickly rising patient numbers, a decisive refocus on eye diseases, improved management of iritis with belladonna, and pioneering needling techniques for congenital cataract—publicly showcased, then published posthumously by Farre amid debates over priority.

The history & traditions of the Moorfields Eye Hospital, by E. Treacher Collins. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #78625.