Joseph Barth
Encyclopedia
Joseph Barth October 28, 1746, Valletta
, Malta
- April 7, 1818, Vienna
, Austria
, was a notable 18th century ophthalmologist.
In Malta the professorship in ophthalmology was only established in 1880 being incumbent by Professor Lawrence Manche. Barth also opened a private nursing home and the first public eye clinic in the Vienna General Hospital in 1784, wherein he operated on cases of cataract. He apparently designed the original version of the "Beer's knife" that was subsequently modified and popularised by his student. His clinical renown led to his appointment as Imperial Oculist after he successfully treated Kaiser Joseph II of a stubborn "ophthalmitis".
Barth was very much a clinical teacher and was responsible for the training of several renowned physicians, notably Joseph Ehrenritter, Johann Adam Schmidt
, Georg Joseph Beer
, Georg Prochaska
, Jacob Santerelli, G.B. Quadri, and Pietro Magistretti. He also established an Anatomical Museum that housed an assembly of 1576 specimens, some prepared by Barth himself. He also founded a medical library that contained 1500 volumes. Barth did not publish extensively preferring clinical teaching.
His publications included an anatomical work on myology Anfangsgrunde der Muskellehre (Vienna, 1786, 2nd ed. 1819) and an operative text on cataract removal Etwas uber die Ausziehung des graven Staars fur den genubten Operateur (Vienna, 1797, Salzburg, 1797). In 1827, Dr Stefano Zerafa described Joseph Barth as "a man of great merits, Maltese citizen, Chief Physician and Counsellor to Her Sacred Majesty, Professor of Sublime Anatomy and Physiology in the Academy of Vienna, undoubtedly the first among ophthalmologists."
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
- April 7, 1818, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, was a notable 18th century ophthalmologist.
Education
Anatomical & Surgical School at Sacra Infermeria, Valletta (Malta), Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome (Italy), University of Vienna (Austria). Qualified 1772.Career
Appointed Public Teacher in Ophthalmology and Anatomy (1773), Professor of Ophthalmology and Anatomy (1774) and Oculist and Professor of Physiology (1786) at University of Vienna; nominated Royal Counsellor (1774) and appointed oculist to Emperor Joseph II (1776); retired 1791 but maintained post of personal imperial physician and ophthalmologist until his death.Achievements
Joseph Barth was to gain renown in ophthalmologic practice and to occupy the first Chair of Ophthalmology in Europe. His appointment to the post by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria was made in consideration of his "special skill in eye diseases as well as his aptitude in finer anatomy". The professorship occupied by Barth remained the leader in ophthalmology with the subsequent professorship being instituted in Berlin only in 1866.In Malta the professorship in ophthalmology was only established in 1880 being incumbent by Professor Lawrence Manche. Barth also opened a private nursing home and the first public eye clinic in the Vienna General Hospital in 1784, wherein he operated on cases of cataract. He apparently designed the original version of the "Beer's knife" that was subsequently modified and popularised by his student. His clinical renown led to his appointment as Imperial Oculist after he successfully treated Kaiser Joseph II of a stubborn "ophthalmitis".
Barth was very much a clinical teacher and was responsible for the training of several renowned physicians, notably Joseph Ehrenritter, Johann Adam Schmidt
Johann Adam Schmidt
Johann Adam Schmidt was a German-Austrian surgeon and ophthalmologist who was a native of Aub, a town near Würzburg. He began his medical career as an army Unterchirurg , and later studied ophthalmology under Joseph Barth in Vienna...
, Georg Joseph Beer
Georg Joseph Beer
Georg Joseph Beer was an Austrian ophthalmologist . He is credited with introducing a flap operation for treatment of cataracts , as well as popularizing the instrument used to perform the surgery .-Career:Initially a theology student, in 1786 he earned his medical doctorate in Vienna...
, Georg Prochaska
Georg Prochaska
Georg Prochaska ; was a leading Czech or Austrian anatomist, ophthalmologist, physiologist, writer and university professor. He wrote the first genuine textbook on physiology and created the concept of nerve conduction among other theories...
, Jacob Santerelli, G.B. Quadri, and Pietro Magistretti. He also established an Anatomical Museum that housed an assembly of 1576 specimens, some prepared by Barth himself. He also founded a medical library that contained 1500 volumes. Barth did not publish extensively preferring clinical teaching.
His publications included an anatomical work on myology Anfangsgrunde der Muskellehre (Vienna, 1786, 2nd ed. 1819) and an operative text on cataract removal Etwas uber die Ausziehung des graven Staars fur den genubten Operateur (Vienna, 1797, Salzburg, 1797). In 1827, Dr Stefano Zerafa described Joseph Barth as "a man of great merits, Maltese citizen, Chief Physician and Counsellor to Her Sacred Majesty, Professor of Sublime Anatomy and Physiology in the Academy of Vienna, undoubtedly the first among ophthalmologists."