Évariste Warlomont (26 November 1820 — 22 January 1891), also referred to as Jean-Charles Évariste Warlomont, was a Belgian

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

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

, and

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...

. He was the first to establish

animal vaccination Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, have myocytes and are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a ho ...

in Belgium.

Biography

Early life and education

Jean-Charles Évariste Warlomont was born in

Aubel Aubel (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 4,082 inhabitants. The total area is 18.83 km2, giving a population density of 217 inhabitants per km2. The Val-D ...

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

on 26 November 1820.Nederlandsch tijdschrift voor geneeskunde. (1891). Netherlands: H.A. Frijlink. After studying

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

at the Athénée de Luxembourg in

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

, he returned to his family in Belgium in 1838. Évariste Warlomont later studied at the

State University of Leuven The State University of Leuven () was a university founded in 1817 in Leuven in Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was distinct from the Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) and from the Catholic University of L ...

, graduating with a

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

.Annales d'oculistique. (1891). France: Doin.

Career

Military physician

After studying medicine in

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

, J. C. Évariste Warlomont became a military physician in 1844. Under a Belgian ophthalmologist named Jean Fierens, he studied

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 ...

, an infectious

eye disease This is a partial list of human eye diseases and disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a classification of known diseases and injuries, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, or ...

that affected many soldiers in the Belgian army.

Ophthalmological journalism

He resigned from the army in 1852, around the time of his marriage. Warlomont turned his focus to ophthalmological science, learning from Belgian ophthalmologist Dr. Florent Cunier, who founded the international

optometry Optometry is the healthcare practice concerned with examining the eyes for visual defects, prescribing corrective lenses, and detecting eye abnormalities. In the United States and Canada, optometrists are those that hold a post-baccalaureate f ...

journal '' Annales d'oculistique''. He also met and engaged in various studies and projects with a young ophthalmologist named Dr. Testelin. After Dr. Florent Cunier died in 1853, Évariste Warlomont took over as

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

of ''Annales d'oculistique''.Proceedings of the international congress. (1873). (n.p.): (n.p.).

Ophthalmologist

Between 1852 and 1866, he treated eye diseases at the Brabant Ophthalmological Institute and engaged in ophthalmological journalism. He accepted a seat on the Board of the Institute in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

and was appointed as the King of Belgium, Leopold I's ophthalmologist. His 1854 presentation to the

Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium The Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium ( , sometimes referred to as ' ) is the independent learned society of science and arts of the French Community of Belgium. One of Belgium's numerous academies, it is the French-speak ...

() was on the history of

pannus Pannus is an abnormal layer of fibrovascular tissue or granulation tissue. Common sites for pannus formation include over the cornea, over a joint surface (as seen in rheumatoid arthritis), or on a prosthetic heart valve. Pannus may grow in a t ...

and was titled ''Du Pannus et de son traitement''. In 1856, he worked on the French translation and volume two of ''Practical Treatise of the Diseases of the Eye'' (), a

textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

by Scottish ophthalmologist William Mackenzie. After publishing an invitation via the Annales d'oculistique, the editor-in-chief organized a special ophthalmological congress. In 1857, he convened the first-ever International Congress of Ophthalmology, a

conference A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

with over 150 ophthalmologists in attendance. He served as the general-secretary of the First International Ophthalmological Congress.

Vaccinologist

With the introduction of animal vaccines by Dr. Lanoix in France, he shifted his attention towards public hygiene and vaccinations, even though his practice had no direct connection. He founded a vaccination service as a private enterprise in January 1865 called The State Vaccine Institute (). In 1865, he wrote a piece addressing the state's duties toward the widows and orphans of doctors who perished due to their commitment during Belgian pandemics, including the 1863–1875 cholera pandemic. The Belgian Government established its own vaccination institute in 1868, The Vaccination Institute of Belgium (), and hired Dr. Warlomont, who continued his work at both institutes.The Transactions of the American Medical Association: Instituted 1847. (1877). United States: Assoc.. He served as director of the Vaccination Institute in

(which existed until 1892).Warlomont, E. W. (1885). A Manual of Animal Vaccination: Preceded by Considerations on Vaccination in General. United Kingdom: Churchill. Notably, the institution revaccinated the Queen of England and her family members. Before 1871, Warlomont had administered vaccines to 10,000 people. In 1869, he wrote the

obituary An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...

of Dr. Frédéric Jules Sichel.

Institute Director

From 1869 to 1883, he served as the director of the Brabant Ophthalmological Institute. During his directorship of the Royal Institution of Belgium, he was a corresponding member of the International Academies of Medicine. He wrote to the National Academy of Medicine of Paris to address the preservation of animal vaccine matter in 1870. Dr. Warlomont presented a study on his

prophylactic Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, is the application of healthcare measures to prevent diseases.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental health a ...

vaccine for smallpox at the Academy of Medicine in Belgium in 1871. He published a scientific study on the

cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens (anatomy), lens of the eye that leads to a visual impairment, decrease in vision of the eye. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colours, blurry or ...

in 1872, titled ''Of The Cataract'' ('). On 19 January 1877, he informed the ''

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world ...

'' that many English doctors were seeking animal vaccines from the State Vaccine Institute () in

.British Medical Journal: BMJ. (1877). United Kingdom: Assoc. By 1883, he served as President of the Central Examination Board for Medicine. He was also distinguished as a

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

of the Order of Leopold, Officer of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

, and Commander of the

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...

and

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OYC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and ...

. During this year, he wrote ''Traité de la vaccine et de la vaccination humaine et animale'', published in Paris.Warlomont, E. W. (1883). Traité de la vaccine et de la vaccination humaine et animale. J.-B. Baillière. https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:hms.count:1065635 After being expelled from the institute in 1883, he promptly established a new ophthalmology institute in Italy's

Sanremo Sanremo, also spelled San Remo in English and formerly in Italian, is a (municipality) on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination ...

called the International Institute for Eye Diseases. ''A Manual of Animal Vaccination: Preceded by Considerations on Vaccination in General,'' written by him, was translated and published in English in 1886, detailing the results of re-vaccination and the benefits of animal vaccination.

Royal Academy of Medicine

During the mid-1880s, Dr. Warlomont, previously vice president of the

Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium (, ), founded on 19 September 1841 by royal decree of King Leopold I, is an academy that brings together Belgian scientists. It is headquartered in Brussels at the Palace of Academies. History The Roya ...

, held a tenured position at the academy. Warlomont held a corresponding membership with the National Academy of Medicine () in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and was elected chairman in 1886. Warlomont was appointed foreign correspondent for the Academy of Medicine's Anatomy and Physiology Division on 30 April 1889.

Death

Jean-Charles Évariste Warlomont died on 22 January 1891 in

.American Journal of Ophthalmology. (1891). United States: Ophthalmic Publishing Company.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warlomont, Évariste 1820 births 1891 deaths Belgian writers 19th-century Belgian physicians Belgian ophthalmologists Belgian microbiologists People from Liège Order of Leopold (Belgium) Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (House of Romanov) Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic State University of Leuven alumni