Otto Schirmer (13 December 1864, in

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (german: Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostoc ...

– 6 May 1918) was a German

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, 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. Followin ...

from

. He studied medicine at several universities including the

University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; german: Universität Greifswald), formerly also known as “Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald“, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pom ...

. In 1896 he attained the chair of ophthalmology at Greifswald, a position earlier held by his father,

Rudolf Schirmer Rudolf Schirmer (10 March 1831, Greifswald – 27 January 1896) was a German ophthalmologist from Greifswald. He initially studied medicine at the University of Greifswald, then furthered his studies at Göttingen, Berlin, Paris and Vienna. ...

(1831-1896). Later he was a professor of ophthalmology at the Universities of

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...

and

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

, and in 1909 emigrated to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, where he worked at several locations including the Herman Knapp Memorial Eye Hospital. Schirmer conducted

histological Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...

and

biochemical Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology an ...

studies of

cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...

, and also provided a comprehensive description on the

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

sympathetic ophthalmia Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO), also called spared eye injury, is a diffuse granulomatous inflammation of the uveal layer of both eyes following trauma to one eye. It can leave the affected person completely blind. Symptoms may develop from days to s ...

. He did a detailed study of rosacea

keratitis Keratitis is a condition in which the eye's cornea, the clear dome on the front surface of the eye, becomes inflamed. The condition is often marked by moderate to intense pain and usually involves any of the following symptoms: pain, impaired e ...

, and performed extensive research on the

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

and

microanatomy Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...

of the eye's

lacrimal apparatus The lacrimal apparatus is the physiological system containing the Orbit (anatomy), orbital structures for tears, tear production and drainage.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Com ...

. His work with sympathetic ophthalmia and the lacrimal system were published in the second edition of the Graefe- Saemisch textbook of ophthalmology- ''Handbuch der gesamten Augenheilkunde''. Schirmer is remembered today for the eponymous " Schirmer test", a method used to measure the eye's lacrimal secretion with absorbent paper.

Selected writings

* ''Die postdiphtheritischen Erkrankungen des Auges'', 1896 - Post-

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

diseases of the eyes. * ''Die Impferkrankungen des Auges'', 1900. * ''Mikroskopische Anatomie und Physiologie der Thränenorgane'', 1904 - Microscopic anatomy and physiology of the lacrimal duct. * ''Sympathische Augenerkrankung'', 1905 - Sympathetic eye disease.WorldCat Identities
(publications)

References

External links

(biography of Otto Schirmer)

1864 births 1918 deaths People from Greifswald German ophthalmologists University of Greifswald alumni University of Greifswald faculty People from the Province of Pomerania {{Germany-med-bio-stub