French veterinarians and equine recurrent uveitis, 1761-1838

par Bernard Clerc* et François Vallat**
*Professeur d’Ophtalmologie honoraire des Écoles nationales vétérinaires, Adel. berclerc@yahoo.fr
**Docteur vétérinaire, Docteur en Histoire, Adel. francoisvallat@hotmail.com

Periodic ophthalmia — known today as equine recurrent uveitis — was particularly prevalent in the past in damp regions. It lead to blindness, with serious economic implications, and from the XVIIIth Century was considered a crippling disease. Sources of information on periodic ophthalmia, since the establishment of veterinary schools to 1838, make it possible to track the etiological hypotheses and treat-ments proposed. Surgical attempts to treat one of the complications of the disease, cataract, took place almost at the same time as those in human ophthalmology. The disease became less widespread as major advances were made in animal husbandry, from the time of the Restoration, in particular improved pasture drainage and better sanitation in stables. Veterinary medicine had no direct effect on these improvements.

Bull.soc.fr.hist.méd.sci.vét., 2012, 12 : 51-87