Astigmatism, first described by Thomas Young in the 19th century, saw early attempts at correction through spectacles. In 1813, M. Chamblant patented lenses with two planoconvex cylindrical lenses, noticing an improvement in his vision, likely due to inadvertent astigmatism correction. Following this, George Biddell Airy designed cylindrical lenses in 1824, while Chauncey Enoch Goodrich noted their effects in 1825. Despite his findings, American ophthalmologists overlooked Goodrich's work until the later treatise by Franciscus Donders in 1864 drew attention to the condition.
Ophthalmologist’s Time Machine: Chapter 28
The history of the prophylaxis and treatment of endophthalmitis
By
Stephen G. Schwartz,
Landon J. Rohowetz,
Harry W. Flynn Jr.,
Christopher T. Leffler,
Andrzej Grzybowski
7/23/2025
4 min read