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Hermann M. Burian [1906 - 1974] was born in Naples, Italy and received his medical education in Belgrade Yugoslavia, graduating in 1930. After internship, he began his eye studies in Bern Switzerland with Professor Goldmann before joining Professor Tschermak and Shubert in Prague studying physiologic optics. Coming to the United States, in 1936 he joined the Dartmouth Eye Institute progressing from research fellow to Chief Ophthalmologist. In 1951 he joined the Eye Department of the University of Iowa where he established the Division of Ocular Motility and Binocular Vision, also the title of a seminal book completed with his student Gunter K. von Noorden. Leaving Iowa in 1971, Dr. Burian completed his career at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Biography

Early life and studies

Hermann M. Burian was born by Austrian parents on January 14, 1906, in Naples, Italy. He received his medical education in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, graduating in 1930. After the internship, he began his eye studies in Bern, Switzerland with professor Goldmann; he then joined professor Tschemark and Shubert in Prague studying physiology optics. Coming to the united states, in 1936 he joined the Dartmouth Eye Institute progressing from research fellow to chief ophthalmologist.

His father, Richard Burian was at that time, Director of Physiology of the Station Zoologica. He began his studies in Italy, but when the country entered the World War I in 1915, he daily moved to Leipzig, Germany. He received his secondary education in Leipzig and Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where his father became a Professor of Physiology in the Medical School. He studied medicine in Belgrade and obtained his M.D. degree in June of 1930. During 1930 and the spring of 1931, he fulfilled his military obligations and took his internship while working in the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University in Leipzig, under Professor W. Weigert.

Late Life and Death

Dr. Bruian's life-long goal as. scientist, clinician and teacher was to continue the tradition of the great masters of the past: Johannes von Müller, Hering, Tschermak, Bielschowsky. He wanted to instill their sound and scientific thinking into modern day Ophtalmology, especially in the filed of strabismus, and to amplify their rich and scientific heritage. He completed his goal and has left his mark as one of the most outstanding strabismologists of our century.

He was speaking at the Paediatric Ophtalmology Conference in Parma, in the fall of 1974 when he became ill. Hermann m. Burian died on November 5, 1974, in Milan, Italy.

After his death, in May 1975 a bronze relief of his portrait was displayed in a prominent spot in the new Paediatric Ophtalmology Clinic at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Burian is survived by his widow, Gladys, who helped him in many difficult stretched of his life. His older son is associated with the Department of Philosophy at Brandeis University in Boston, and his younger son is with the Department of Classics at Duke University in Durham.

Career

Burian worked on rhodopsin and photochemistry. In September 1931, he entered The University Eye Clinic in Bern, Switzerland, working under Professor Seigrist and Professor Goldmann. In 1934, he returned to Belgrade and became an assistant in the Second Eye Clinic, but in January of 1936, he left to join the research staff at the Physiological Institute of the German University of Prague, Czechoslovakia, under Professor Tschmerk, where he began his studies in Physiological Optics. During this time he published excellent papers.

In 1936, Dr. Burian was asked to join the Dartmouth Eye Institute in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dr. Burian and Dr. Alson E. Braley, first met this same year when they both presented papers at the association for research in ophthalmology. It was when the so-called trustees of the association sat in the front row. Hermann presented a very interesting paper on the migration of pigment in the ergo retina, which was influenced by the central nervous system. He remained at the Dartmouth Eye Institute where he worked with professor Bielschowsky and professor Ames and rose from a research fellow to the chief ophthalmologist at the Dartmouth Institute.

In 1945, he left Dartmouth and entered private practice in Boston, Massachusetts. He was active in teaching at Tufts Medical School, and at the Boston City Hospital.

In 1951, he was invited to join the department of ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, where he stayed for nearly 20 years. He became a naturalized American citizen in September of 1941. In 1951 he joined the eye department of the University of Iowa where he established the division of ocular mobility and binocular vision, also the title of a seminal book completed with his student Gunter K. Von Noorden. Leaving Iowa in 1971, Dr. Burian completed his career at the University of Carolina, Chapel Hill.

During his years at the University of Iowa, Dr. Burian, enveloped a division of ocular motility and binocular vision, and developed a new laboratory for electrophysiologists of the world he helped food the international society of clinical electroretinology, and served as its secretary for eleven years. Hermann was an outstanding linguist. His native tongue was Italian, but his friends reported that his French was also perfect as was his Serbo-Croatian which he learned as a boy. He spoke gran fluently, and many of his papers were published in german. He knew both Latin and Greek very well and had the derivation of words of all languages at his command. He had a good reading knowledge of both Spanish and Russian and once when he was in Mexico, his Spanish appeared to be excellent. He had no trouble making people understand, nor did he have trouble understanding others.

Social Relevance

Hermann was an active member in many of the scientific societies, he was a member of nearly every ophthalmological society in the united states, as well as many in other parts of the world. He was active in the establishment of the squint club, the international society for clinical electroretinography, and the International strabismological association. He was active on the editorial boards of several journals and serves as the editor of the American orthotic journal for several years, he received many donors and delivered many lectureships. He acted visiting professor at several institutions around the world.

In 1971, he left the University of Iowa when the academic rank of professor emeritus of the department of ophthalmology in the college of medicine. He joined the staff at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was a professor of ophthalmology. He was also a clinical professor of ophthalmology at duke university. During his time at chapel hill, heron attended many of the important meetings around the world and gave many lectures. It was while on one of these tours in Italy that he was stricken with his final illness. Unfortunately, he was unable to see the last version of his book on strabismus. However, he did see the mock-up of it while attending his last academy meeting. He had always wanted this textbook to be perfect and it is a great tribute to dr. Burian that one of his former students, Dr. Gunter von Noorden helped him finish the book. Dr. Burian’s interests were not limited to strabismus. He published several papers on ocular pathology, congenital anomalies, and instrumentation. He is the author go over 200 important publications.

Hermann M. Burian can be considered the father of the modern “Strabology” which is the science that studies ocular movements and stereopsis, with all the pathologies related to it. In particular, is worldwide known recognized for the theory of the “retinal correspondence”, which is the base of the physiology of stereopsis. Based on the observations of different aspects and the vision of subjects with strabismus, Burian was able to understand that the two eyes can work together. Because a single point on the right eye corresponds exactly to a second point in the left eye. Most of the observations were also made on young patients with functional amblyopia that is a visual impairment, apparently unrelated to objective damage of the visual system. Burian was also a brilliant strabismus surgeon and made patent of many still-in-use instruments for diagnosis of strabismus, like the striated glasses; stereoptic text, and red filtered bar. He completed his career at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Publications

Dr. Burian published over 150 papers, attracted patients and students from all over the world, and made lasting contributions to the field of Strabismus, electrophysiology, developmental anatomy, and congenital glaucoma.

Together will Lee Allen, he pioneered the trabeculotomy ab externo, an operation now widely performed for congenital glaucoma.

These are 10 of his most famous articles; he was also co-author of the first edition of “Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility; theory and management of strabismus” with his successor and colleague Gunter K. Von Noorden.

1. Surv Ophthalmol. 1974 Sep-Oct;19(2):101-6. The Dartmouth Eye Institute. Burian HM. PMID: 4612806 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

2. Am Orthopt. J. 1974;24:27-34. Something old, something new in the visual act of the patient with strabismus. Burian HM. PMID: 4208454 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

3. Invest Ophthalmol. 1973 Feb;12(2):154-6. Lateral inhibition and the VER in the central field of an amblyopic subject. Lawwill T, Cox WE, Tuttle D, Meur G, Burian HM. PMID: 4683667 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

4. Am Orthopt. J. 1973;23:43-7. Orthoptics and orthoptists in 1972. Burian HM. PMID: 4710215 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

5. Am J Ophthalmol. 1972 Jun;73(6):997-8. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(72)90475-8. Peripheral cleavage anomalies. Burian HM, Henkind P. DOI: 10.1016/0002-9394(72)90475-8 PMID: 5032705 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

6. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 1971 Winter;11(4):23-6. doi: 10.1097/00004397-197101140-00005. Accommodative esotropia. Classification and treatment. Burian HM. DOI: 10.1097/00004397-197101140-00005 PMID: 5155072 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

7. Sight Sav Rev. 1971;41(2):69-81. Treatment of functional amblyopia. Burian HM. PMID: 5095434 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

8. Ann Ottalmol Clin Ocul. 1970 Sep;96(9):453-64. [Exodeviations. Classification, diagnosis, therapy]. [Article in Italian] Burian HM. PMID: 5519036 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

9. Invest Ophthalmol. 1970 Jun;9(6):403-9. Remarks on acceptance of the Proctor Medal award. Burian HM. PMID: 4910972 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

10. Am J Ophthalmol. 1969 Sep;68(3):391-6. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(69)90697-7. Alson E. Braley, M.D. Burian HM. DOI: 10.1016/0002-9394(69)90697-7 PMID: 4896974 [Indexed for MEDLINE].