Jules Gonin (10 August 1870 – May 1935) was a professor of

ophthalmology Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...

who pioneered the procedure of

ignipuncture Ignipuncture (Latin: ''Ignis'' (fire) + ''puncture'') is the procedure of closing a retinal separation by transfixation of the break via cauterization Cauterization (or cauterisation, or cautery) is a medical practice or technique of burning a p ...

, the first successful surgery for the treatment of retinal detachments.

Early life

Jules grew in a family with culture and religious faith. During his schooling he showed talent in languages. He spoke French, Swiss German, Latin and Greek. He also studied English, Spanish and Italian languages. He got enrolled in the College of Sciences in 1888 and studies medicine at the

University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; french: links=no, Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzer ...

. He earned distinction from university for his research studies on butterflies. He entered the institute of Pathology in Lausanne. He developed interest in Ophthalmology and was offered training by Dr.

Marc Dufour Marc Carol Joseph Dufour (September 11, 1941 – January 23, 2015) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played 14 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings between 1963 and 1968. The rest of his career, ...

, then director of the Eye Hospital in Lausanne in 1896.

Nobel Prize

Gonin was nearly awarded the

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...

for his innovations in retinal detachment surgery and according to some should have received it. He was seriously considered by the

Nobel Committee A Nobel Committee is a working body responsible for most of the work involved in selecting Nobel Prize laureates. There are five Nobel Committees, one for each Nobel Prize. Four of these committees (for prizes in physics, chemistry, physiolo ...

in 1934. A questionnaire on Gonin's research was sent to ophthalmic authorities around the world, among which all replied favourably, with one only exception. This is believed to have come from an envious countryman, who persuaded the Committee to postpone the award for one year. However, he died unexpectedly in the spring of 1935, before the next prize was awarded.

Other honours

*The

International Council of Ophthalmology The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) is an international organisation that represents professional associations of ophthalmologists. It is headquartered in Brussels. The Board of Trustees is the executive body and operational arm of ...

established the eponymous Gonin Medal in 1941, which has been awarded quadrennially ever since. *The is named after him. *The very street of Lausanne that he used to walk from his home to the hospital every day is now named after him.

References

External links

*
Jules Gonin, MD
at www.ascrs.org 1870 births 1935 deaths Swiss ophthalmologists {{Switzerland-med-bio-stub