Karl Theodor Paul Polykarpus Axenfeld (24 June 1867 – 29 July 1930) 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 ...

born in

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

(

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban agglo ...

) in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

to a German minister, who was a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

convert to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

and served as missionary in

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

. As a child his family moved back to Germany, settling in the town of

Godesberg Bad Godesberg ( ksh, Bad Jodesbersch) is a borough ('' Stadtbezirk'') of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 to 1999, while Bonn was the capital of West Germany, most foreign embassies were in Bad Godesberg. Some buildings ar ...

. He received his medical doctorate in 1890 from the

University of Marburg The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the wor ...

. In 1896 he became an assistant to

Wilhelm Uhthoff Wilhelm Uhthoff (31 July 1853 – 21 March 1927) was a German ophthalmologist born in Zurow, Klein-Warin. In 1877 earned his doctorate at the University of Berlin, and later became a professor of ophthalmology at the Universities of University of ...

(1853–1927) at Breslau, and during the following year, was appointed director of the university eye clinic in

Rostock Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, c ...

. In 1901 he attained the chair of ophthalmology in

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

, where he remained until his death in 1930. In 1925 he was chosen as president of the German Ophthalmological Society (''Deutsche ophthalmologische Gesellschaft'').

Publications and research

Axenfeld was involved in all aspects 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 ...

and is associated with almost 200 written works involving the eye, including an important textbook of ophthalmology titled ''Lehrbuch und Atlas der Augenheilkunde'' (1909). The seventh edition of the textbook was translated into several languages, including English. He published numerous articles on

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

retina The retina (from la, rete "net") is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focused two-dimensional image of the visual world on the retina, which then ...

l disorders,

trachoma Trachoma is an infectious disease caused by bacterium ''Chlamydia trachomatis''. The infection causes a roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. This roughening can lead to pain in the eyes, breakdown of the outer surface or cornea of ...

and other eye maladies. Axenfeld was particularly interested in bacterial infections of the eye. In 1909 he was awarded the Graefe Medal by the German Ophthalmological Society for his research of

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 ...

. With Otto von Schjerning (1853-1921), he collaborated on the ''Handbuch der ärztlichen Erfahrungen im Weltkriege''. He also made significant contributions to Kolle and Wassermann's ''Handbuch der pathogenen Mikroorganismen''.

Eponyms

Axenfeld has several eponymous ophthalmic terms named after him, including: * "Axenfeld's conjunctivitis":

Conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may ...

caused by '' Moraxella lacunata''. Sometimes called "Morax' disease": named after

Victor Morax Victor Morax, Paris, 1920 Victor Morax (16 March 1866 – 14 May 1935) was an ophthalmologist born in Morges, Switzerland. He studied in Freiburg (Germany) and Paris, and from 1891 to 1903, he worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. From 19 ...

(1866-1935), who described the disorder independent of Axenfeld. * "Axenfeld's nerve loop": A posterior ciliary nerve loop that is noticeable in the

sclera The sclera, also known as the white of the eye or, in older literature, as the tunica albuginea oculi, is the opaque, fibrous, protective, outer layer of the human eye containing mainly collagen and some crucial elastic fiber. In humans, and som ...

. * "

Axenfeld syndrome Axenfeld or Aksenfeld may refer to: * Israel Aksenfeld (aka Israel Axenfeld / Yisroel Aksenfeld, 1787-1866), a German writer * Karl Theodor Paul Polykarpus Axenfeld (1867-1930), a German ophthalmologist * Karl Theodor Georg Axenfeld (1869-1924), a ...

": A syndrome characterized by

cornea The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power ...

l embryotoxon (posterior arcuate ring), a distinct

Schwalbe's line Schwalbe's line is the anatomical line found on the interior surface of the eye's cornea, and delineates the outer limit of the corneal endothelium layer. Specifically, it represents the termination of Descemet's membrane. In many cases it can be ...

and

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants *Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional enti ...

adhesion to Schwalbe's line.

References

External links

Ophthalmology Hall of Fame
Biography and Photo of Theodor Axenfeld

{{DEFAULTSORT:Axenfeld, Theodor German ophthalmologists 1867 births 1930 deaths Smyrniote Levantines Academic staff of the University of Rostock Academic staff of the University of Freiburg German people of Jewish descent Expatriates in the Ottoman Empire