Henry "Jullundur" Smith
Henry Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1859 Clogher, County Tyrone |
| Died | 1948 (aged 88–89) |
| Education | Queen's College, Galway |
| Known for | Cataract surgery |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Surgeon |
| Field | Ophthalmology |
| Sub-specialties | Cataract surgery |
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Smith, known popularly as Henry “Jullundur” Smith, (1859-1948), was an Irish ophthalmologist who served in the Indian Medical Service (IMS), mostly in Jullundur and Amritsar, Punjab, where he was also superintendent of the local jail. In 1905 he published a landmark paper titled “Extraction of cataract in the capsule”. Smith's operation, an operation for removing cataracts with the capsule intact, is named for him. A description of Smith is given in Derrick Vail's “The Man With the Cigar” (1973).
Early life and education
Henry Smith, also known as Harry, was born in Clogher, County Tyrone in 1859.[1][2] He attended Queen's College, Galway, from where he graduated with first class honours.[2]
Career
In 1890 Smith joined the Indian Medical Service, and was stationed at Amritsar and Jullundur, Punjab, where he became known as "Jullundur Smith", acting as superintendent of the local jail and performing both stone and eye surgery.[2][3] During the cooler seasons, he could perform up to 100 cataract operations per day.[2] He popularised the intracapsular cataract extraction.[4]
Later life
In March 1919, Smith secretly advised Sir Michael O'Dwyer, bypassing the newly appointed deputy commissioner, Miles Irving, advocating harsh measures in Amritsar and prompting O'Dwyer to escalate tensions that culminated on 10 April.[5][6] He later gave testimony to the Hunter Inquiry into the Punjab disturbances of 1919.[7]
In 1921 Smith retired to Clogher.[2] In 1924 he was called by Sir Michael O'Dwyer to testify in the O'Dwyer v. Nair Libel Case.[8] He returned to India in 1924 spending a year re-editing his ophthalmology book.[2]
Personal and family
In 1898, Smith married Hester Dil Russel, an Indian Medical Service colleague.[1] They had two sons.[2]
Death and legacy
Smith died in 1859.[1] The Indian Pioneer wrote: "He was big, mentally, morally and physically and he operated on thousands upon thousands for two great Indian afflictions, cataract and stone. India mourns his going, the world honours him."[2] He is considered an ophthalmology pioneer of the IMS, along with Herbert Herbert.[9] A description of Smith is given in Derrick Vail's “The Man With the Cigar” (1973).[10]
Selected publications
- Smith, H. (July 1910). "Extraction of Cataract in the Capsule". The Indian Medical Gazette. 45 (7): 249–251. ISSN 0019-5863. PMC 5140333. PMID 29004448.
- Smith, H. (November 1914). "The Treatment of the Earlier Stages of Senile Cataract". The Indian Medical Gazette. 49 (11): 430–433. ISSN 0019-5863. PMC 5181185. PMID 29006226.
- Smith, H. (May 1915). "Progress in the Treatment of Cataract in India". The Indian Medical Gazette. 50 (5): 161–163. ISSN 0019-5863. PMC 5149746. PMID 29006928.
- Smith, H. (September 1915). "Acidosis and Oedema in Its Relation to Glaucoma". The Indian Medical Gazette. 50 (9): 333–334. ISSN 0019-5863. PMC 5149821. PMID 29006961.
- Smith, H. (January 1916). "Conjunctival Flaps in Cataract Operations". The Indian Medical Gazette. 51 (1): 11–13. ISSN 0019-5863. PMC 5179899. PMID 29008193.
References
- ^ a b c Ravin, James G. (1 April 2005). "Henry "Jullundur" Smith's "Extraction of Cataract in the Capsule"". Archives of Ophthalmology. 123 (4): 544–545. doi:10.1001/archopht.123.4.544. ISSN 0003-9950. PMID 15824230.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Dictionary of Ulster Biography". www.newulsterbiography.co.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ Ravin, James G. (May 2003). "An Indian adventure: Derrick Vail's Shikarpur fragments". Archives of Ophthalmology. 121 (5): 720–724. doi:10.1001/archopht.121.5.720. ISSN 0003-9950. PMID 12742853.
- ^ Boyd, Benjamin (2011). Modern Ophthalmology: The Highlights. JP Medical Ltd. p. 8. ISBN 978-9962-678-16-8.
- ^ Wagner, pp. 70-71
- ^ Collett, Nigel A. (2011). "The O'Dwyer v. Nair Libel Case of 1924: New Evidence Concerning Indian Attitudes and British Intelligence During the 1919 Punjab Disturbances". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 21 (4): 469–483. doi:10.1017/S1356186311000435. ISSN 1356-1863. JSTOR 41490046.
- ^ Wagner, p. 225
- ^ O’dwyer, Michael (1925). India as I knew it 1885-1925. London: Constable & Co. p. 339.
- ^ Feibel, Robert M. (May 2014). "Herbert Herbert: his corneal pits and scleral slits". Ophthalmology. 121 (5): 1142–1148. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.11.018. ISSN 1549-4713. PMID 24424250.
- ^ Vail, Derrick T. (1 January 1973). "The Man by the Cigar". American Journal of Ophthalmology. 75 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1016/0002-9394(73)90647-8. ISSN 0002-9394. PMID 4567510.
Further reading
- Report of the Committee Appointed in the Government of India to Investigate the Disturbances in the Punjab, Etc. H.M. Stationery Office. 1920. pp. 50–60.
- Pontious, Nevin D. (November 1912). "Smith's Operation". The Indian Medical Gazette. 47 (11): 449–451. ISSN 0019-5863. PMC 5168221. PMID 29005410.
Bibliography
- Wagner, Kim A. (2019). Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear & the Making of a Massacre. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-24546-2.