Richard Liebreich
Encyclopedia
Richard Liebreich was a German ophthalmologist and physiologist who was a native of Königsberg
.
In 1853 he earned his doctorate at Halle, and from 1854 until 1862 was an assistant to Albrecht von Graefe in Berlin
. He subsequently practiced medicine in Paris
(from 1862) and London
(from 1870), where he was head of ophthalmology at St. Thomas Hospital. He later retired from medicine and moved back to Paris, where he worked as a sculptor and painter
. His brother, Oskar Liebreich
(1839-1908) was a noted pharmacologist.
Liebreich is remembered for his highly acclaimed 1863 publication of the Atlas des Ophthalmoscopie, which is the earliest atlas dedicated to the subject of ophthalmoscopy
. He also designed a popular model of ophthalmoscope called the "Liebreich ophthalmoscope". He was interested in the pathological changes of the eye as viewed through the ophthalmoscope, and in 1859 provided a classic description of ocular changes in Bright's disease
.
As an assistant to Albrecht von Graefe, Liebreich performed important research involving Usher syndrome
, and demonstrated the combined heritability
of blindness
and deafness concerning the disease. During his first tenure in Paris he performed a successful operation on the mother-in-law of emperor Napoléon III.
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
.
In 1853 he earned his doctorate at Halle, and from 1854 until 1862 was an assistant to Albrecht von Graefe in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He subsequently practiced medicine in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(from 1862) and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(from 1870), where he was head of ophthalmology at St. Thomas Hospital. He later retired from medicine and moved back to Paris, where he worked as a sculptor and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. His brother, Oskar Liebreich
Oskar Liebreich
Matthias Eugen Oscar Liebreich was a German pharmacologist who was a native of Königsberg.He studied chemistry under Carl Remigius Fresenius in Wiesbaden, and studied medicine in Königsberg, Tübingen and Berlin, achieving his degree in 1865...
(1839-1908) was a noted pharmacologist.
Liebreich is remembered for his highly acclaimed 1863 publication of the Atlas des Ophthalmoscopie, which is the earliest atlas dedicated to the subject of ophthalmoscopy
Ophthalmoscopy
Ophthalmoscopy is a test that allows a health professional to see inside the fundus of the eye and other structures using an ophthalmoscope . It is done as part of an eye examination and may be done as part of a routine physical examination...
. He also designed a popular model of ophthalmoscope called the "Liebreich ophthalmoscope". He was interested in the pathological changes of the eye as viewed through the ophthalmoscope, and in 1859 provided a classic description of ocular changes in Bright's disease
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
.
As an assistant to Albrecht von Graefe, Liebreich performed important research involving Usher syndrome
Usher syndrome
Usher syndrome is a relatively rare genetic disorder that is a leading cause of deafblindness and that is associated with a mutation in any one of 10 genes. Other names for Usher syndrome include Hallgren syndrome, Usher-Hallgren syndrome, rp-dysacusis syndrome and dystrophia retinae dysacusis...
, and demonstrated the combined heritability
Heritability
The Heritability of a population is the proportion of observable differences between individuals that is due to genetic differences. Factors including genetics, environment and random chance can all contribute to the variation between individuals in their observable characteristics...
of blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
and deafness concerning the disease. During his first tenure in Paris he performed a successful operation on the mother-in-law of emperor Napoléon III.
External links
- Gilai Collectibles Photo of ca. 1875 Liebreich ophthalmoscope
- Antiquarian Books:: ILAB-LILA Atlas der Ophthalmoscopie. Darstellung des Augengrundes im Gesunden und Krankhaften