Tag: river blindness

Cataract surgery outreach, Congo, 1930s

Dr. Jean Hissette’s cataract surgery in Kasai in the Belgian Congo, 1930

Photo from Dr. Guido Kluxen’s excellent reasearch book “Dr. Jean Hissette’s Research Expeditions to Elucidate River Blindness”, 2011

Interestingly, Dr. Hissette performed his cataract OPs using large conjunctival peritomies and additionally – iridectomies. Many surgeries were complicated with synechias, which were typicall for onchocerciasis induced uveitis.

I found interesting as well, how the doctor treated assistance during these OPs: “I did the surgeries without assistance, as I believe that if you do not have adequate assistance, it is better to operate without any”. May be often the case in the tropical setup.

Dr. Jean Hissette’s cataract surgery in Kasai in the Belgian Congo, 1930 (Photo from Dr. Guido Kluxen’s excellent reasearch book “Dr. Jean Hissette’s Research Expeditions to Elucidate River Blindness”, 2011)

How white pipo discovered river blindness

I read with interest the introduction paper “Dem Ergründer der Flussblindheit in Afrika auf der Spur” of Raimund Balmes to the book “Dr. Jean Hissette’s Research Expeditions to Elucidate River Blindness” which I have just bought. Must be interesting to read. It tells us about 1930s in Congo with specific interest in discovering the association of “River Blindness” with microfilarial disease – onchocerciasis.
Interestingly, it is stated, that Dr. Hissette (belgian expeditor) is considered to be the first one to ascribe the river blindness to worms parasitosis. At the same time, it is stated, that local people had showed him explicitly, that the tubercles, that many of blind people had had on the skin and the blindness which they had are related to the flies, that cause this. So basically it was all known long time before the white discoverers had even though of going to Congo. However, he came, he saw, he discovered this for the humanity 🙂

It reminds me of “discovering” the Falls which had to be named “Victoria”. Also for the humanity probably. (“Mosi-oa-Tunya”, the native name of the Falls had been known since much longer time ago).

P.S. I never knew that scientists became Nobel Prize in 2015 for Ivermectin (Mectizan). Definitely deserved one.

P.P.S. I never knew as well, that there had never been onchocerciacis in Latin America until it was brought there with Slave Traders in earlier centuries.