THE GENIUS OF WILLIAM BOWMAN
Authors: A. Keith
Journal: BMJ (1930)

LET me, by way of introductio1, refer to an inici(lei1t from the life of SiIr Williamii Boi-wman wi7hich brings us at olnco into close touchl with his personality.In 1863 -thie fie-v b)ut -arlm-h1ear ted surgical dictator of the time, Jam1es SvnieRegius Professor of Clinical Surgery in the Universit-of Ediniburglh, anid fatlher-ini-law of Joseph Lister, had publicly conidemned the.operation of iridectomn-l)roposedl by von Graefe for the relief of glaucomia ini 1857.In 1863 Bowman was 47 years of age, and although lie xx-as Svme's juunior by 17 years he w-as the acknow-ledlgerd leader amiiong the ophthalmnic sulrgeons of Enigland.H:e lhad already a wide experience of ir idec- tomny, anid, altlhoughlie couLild not explain the rationiale of the operation, he fouind it the only certaini and ilndispenisable " tr eatm-lent for acute glaucoma.Had Bowman been a " naturi al ''.imain lhe 'Would hiave rushed inito prinit and trouinced Svime in public for misleadinlg the profession, but being imaster of himiiiself anid know-ing that truth cotuld be viindicated in a bettel waxx he wi-rote Svme a-+rv eydirect peersonial n-ote.The merits of iridectomiiy, lie told Ilum, wvere lased oi "facts xyhich weie nlumerous and Positive the " ruiles for its application were precise " its results were capable of bleing antici p)ated xx-itli as miiuchi certaintv as canl bhe dolne in aniy dep)ait-m11en t of our uncertaini art."SymIIe eeplied that hiS CO11 dem1111ationi of iridectomv wias founded o' On seriou1s coni- sider-ationi of tlhe aniatomicall 'h'siolo'gical, and patho logical con-ditions in ques- tiOil, aidI that lie foresawx unilimited dalngers to thie ev es of patieiits er-e thie profe -------- sioni in genier al to practise the operation.To tllis SIR WILLIA Boxi-maui rel)lie(l tlat lhe hiad no xx-islh to influenlce opillion except bv souniid reason.''The ansxer fronit Ediiiburgh xxas brief."Iridectomy,'' wxrote Svymie, " wlatever miay be its value for cure of bliiidniess, wxill uuever interfere witlh the respect anid regard wxhiicl I entertain for yoursielf," anid promptlh dispatched(l thle correspondence for pulblication in thle British Medical Jourinall ,' where his condemniatory statement h1adid fir.st appeaied.I quote fromii this brief correspondence lnot onlyv because it reveals tlhe character of those txx-o eminienit Victorians in a fax-ourable liglht, but also because it permits mi-e at the outset of my adaress to illustrate the exceptionial perisonality of the manl wlho was inivited to be presidenit of this society wl-eii it xas fouinded juist fifty years ago.AWhat wxas the secret of the high regard in which Sir WVilli'am Bowmnan, was held by his contemiporaries?In his you tli, as we shall see, lie made brillianit discoveries in anatolyv; these xwere knoxxn to onlv a few.InI tile full tide of his professiolnal life he did mliore tha-n any muon in England to adxance ophtlhalmology, a branclh of medicine into wliie he wvas sxxwept by force of cill-clilstance.Sulch| services are better know-n to you thail to me, and I n1 t propose to conisider them, but they do nlot accoumit folm the esteemli in which lie w5Xas held by hi.s professional colleaguies! in all departmiients of medicine.It was not mvy Privilege