46
Vol 16 | No 2 • Autumn 2021 SA Ophthalmology Journal
Opht halmolog y and philately
Ophthalmologyrelated scientists J
uzer Surka is an ophthalmologist and enthusiastic philatelist, who first started collecting stamps and commemorative envelopes at a young age. In subsequent years he has focused his collection and research on medically themed stamps, and more specifically, on those relating to the field of Ophthalmology, where he has collected to date in the region of around 60 original stamps. In 2005, as a member of the National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness, he was instrumental in getting the South African Postal Service to release a stamp to raise awareness around the prevention of blindness – an elegant, plain white stamp with the word ‘Hello’ written in Braille. It was a first of its kind in the history of South African philately. Philately is the study and collection of postage stamps. As stamp collecting gained in popularity over the years and around the world, collectors became more specialised in their areas of interests and collections; medical philately being no exception. Many countries have produced stamps on a wide range of medical topics, from health promotion and disease prevention to medical advances and notable clinicians. Ophthalmology has its fair share of stamps, and discovering them can be a fun and interesting way to learn about some of the history and heritage of the specialty. In this series, we intend to look at various ophthalmology-related stamps, starting with famous clinicians and scientists. We hope the reader finds this to be informative and fun.
Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894) Helmholtz was not an ophthalmologist but he specialised in Anatomy and Physiology. His first important scientific achievement, an 1847 treatise on the conservation of energy, was written in the context of his medical studies and philosophical background. Helmholtz was a pioneer in the scientific study of human vision and audition. Inspired by psychophysics, he was interested in the relationships between measurable physical stimuli and their correspondent human perceptions.
Hermann von Helmholtz stamps issued by (above left) East Germany (1950); (above right) West Germany (1971) and (below) West Germany (1994)
In 1851, Helmholtz inaugurated the modern era in Ophthalmology with the invention of the ophthalmoscope; the ophthalmoscope became the model for all forms of endoscopy that followed. It is often compared in importance with two earlier inventions, the telescope (17th century) and the stethoscope (early 19th century). Helmholtz’s interests at that time were increasingly focused on the physiology of the senses. His main publication, titled Handbuch der Physiologischen Optik (Handbook of Physiological Optics or Treatise on Physiological Optics), provided empirical theories on depth perception, colour and motion perception, and became the fundamental reference work in his field during the second half of the nineteenth century. In the third and final volume, published in 1867, Helmholtz described the importance of unconscious inferences for perception. The Handbuch was first translated into English under the editorship of James PC Southall on behalf of the Optical Society of America in 1924/25. His theory of accommodation went unchallenged until the final decade of the 20th century.
Hasan Ibn al-Haytham (965–1039) Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham was an Arab mathematician, astronomer and physicist of the Islamic Golden age, and is known in the West as Alhazen. Also sometimes referred to as ‘the father of modern optics’, he made significant contributions to the principles of optics and visual perception in particular.
His most influential work is titled Kitab al-Manaẓir (Book of Optics), written during the period 1011–1021, which survived in a Latin edition.
Hasan Ibn al-Haytham stamps issued by (top) Pakistan (1969); (middle) Qatar (1971); (bottom) Jordan (1971)
