HERMANN M. BURIAN,
MD
BY Alson E. Braley, MD
WORLD OPHTHALMOLOGY LOST ONE OF ITS FINEST, BEST EDUCATED MEMBERS, ON
November 25, 1974, at the age of 68. Hermann M. Burian was born on January 14, 1906, in Naples, Italy. His father, Richard Burian was at that time, Director of Physiology of the Stazione Zoologica. He started school in Naples, Italy, but when Italy enterd the first World War in 1915, his family moved to Liepzig, Germany. He received his secondary education in Liepzig and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where his father became 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 intership while working in the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University in Liepzig, under Professor W. Weigert. He worked
4
Necrology on rhodopsin and photo chemistry. In September of 1931, he entered The University Eye Clinic at Bern, Switzerland, under Professor Siegrist 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 Tschermak and Professor Schubert, where he began his studies in Physiological Optics. During this time he published three excellent papers. In 1936, Dr Burian was asked to join the Dartmouth Eye Institute in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dr Burian and I first met this same year when we both presented papers at The Association for Research in Ophthalmology. It was during the time 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 Frog Retina, which was influenced by the central nervous system. I remember what a time he had defendinghis paper. He remained at 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. He became a naturalized American citizen in September of 1941. During his years at the University of Iowa, Dr. Burian developed a division of ocular motility and binocular vision, and developed a new laboratory for electrophysiology of the eye. His laboratory was the envy of many of the electrophysiologists of the world. He helped found the International Society of Clinical Electroretinography, and served as its secretary for eleven years. Hermann was an outstanding linguist. His native tongue was Italian, but his friends tell me that his French was perfect as was his SerboCroatian which he learned as a boy. He also spoke German fluently, and many of his papers were published in German. Even though my native tongue is English, I feel that Hermann knew English better than I. He knew both Latin and Greek very well and had the derivation of words ofall languages at his command. He had a good reading knowledge of both Spanish and Russian and once when we were in Mexico, I thought his Spanish was excellent. He had no trouble making people understand, nor did he have any trouble understanding others.
Necrology
5
Hermann was very active 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 served as the editor of the American Orthoptic Journal for several years. He received many honors and delivered many lectureships. He acted as visiting professor at a number of institutions around the world. In 1971, he left the University of Iowa with 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 Professor of Ophthalmology. He was also Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Duke University. During his time at Chapel Hill, Hermann 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. It is unfortunate that he was unable to see the final edition of his textbook 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 a number of papers on ocular pathology, congenital anomalies, and instrumentation. He is the author of over 200 important publications. All of us who know Hermann will miss him, and will recall many of the happy hours we spent in discussions, not only pertaining to Ophthalmology, but also to religion and sociology. He was also a fine musician with excellent training in music. It was a real treat to hear him play the piano. He was a prodigious collector of rare books and art works, and had a superb record library, all of which provided him untold hours of relaxation and pleasure. Doctor Burian is survived by his wife, Gladys Hart Burian, two sons, Richard and Peter, and four grandchildren. Hermann's accomplishments are so extensive that it is not possible to recount all of them here. He was a trusted personal friend and colleague. All who knew him have great admiration for his ability and accomplishments in his profession. His many publications will live oIn for many generations.
MD
BY Alson E. Braley, MD
WORLD OPHTHALMOLOGY LOST ONE OF ITS FINEST, BEST EDUCATED MEMBERS, ON
November 25, 1974, at the age of 68. Hermann M. Burian was born on January 14, 1906, in Naples, Italy. His father, Richard Burian was at that time, Director of Physiology of the Stazione Zoologica. He started school in Naples, Italy, but when Italy enterd the first World War in 1915, his family moved to Liepzig, Germany. He received his secondary education in Liepzig and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where his father became 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 intership while working in the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University in Liepzig, under Professor W. Weigert. He worked
4
Necrology on rhodopsin and photo chemistry. In September of 1931, he entered The University Eye Clinic at Bern, Switzerland, under Professor Siegrist 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 Tschermak and Professor Schubert, where he began his studies in Physiological Optics. During this time he published three excellent papers. In 1936, Dr Burian was asked to join the Dartmouth Eye Institute in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dr Burian and I first met this same year when we both presented papers at The Association for Research in Ophthalmology. It was during the time 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 Frog Retina, which was influenced by the central nervous system. I remember what a time he had defendinghis paper. He remained at 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. He became a naturalized American citizen in September of 1941. During his years at the University of Iowa, Dr. Burian developed a division of ocular motility and binocular vision, and developed a new laboratory for electrophysiology of the eye. His laboratory was the envy of many of the electrophysiologists of the world. He helped found the International Society of Clinical Electroretinography, and served as its secretary for eleven years. Hermann was an outstanding linguist. His native tongue was Italian, but his friends tell me that his French was perfect as was his SerboCroatian which he learned as a boy. He also spoke German fluently, and many of his papers were published in German. Even though my native tongue is English, I feel that Hermann knew English better than I. He knew both Latin and Greek very well and had the derivation of words ofall languages at his command. He had a good reading knowledge of both Spanish and Russian and once when we were in Mexico, I thought his Spanish was excellent. He had no trouble making people understand, nor did he have any trouble understanding others.
Necrology
5
Hermann was very active 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 served as the editor of the American Orthoptic Journal for several years. He received many honors and delivered many lectureships. He acted as visiting professor at a number of institutions around the world. In 1971, he left the University of Iowa with 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 Professor of Ophthalmology. He was also Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Duke University. During his time at Chapel Hill, Hermann 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. It is unfortunate that he was unable to see the final edition of his textbook 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 a number of papers on ocular pathology, congenital anomalies, and instrumentation. He is the author of over 200 important publications. All of us who know Hermann will miss him, and will recall many of the happy hours we spent in discussions, not only pertaining to Ophthalmology, but also to religion and sociology. He was also a fine musician with excellent training in music. It was a real treat to hear him play the piano. He was a prodigious collector of rare books and art works, and had a superb record library, all of which provided him untold hours of relaxation and pleasure. Doctor Burian is survived by his wife, Gladys Hart Burian, two sons, Richard and Peter, and four grandchildren. Hermann's accomplishments are so extensive that it is not possible to recount all of them here. He was a trusted personal friend and colleague. All who knew him have great admiration for his ability and accomplishments in his profession. His many publications will live oIn for many generations.
