Joseph Forlenze facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Forlenze
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| Born | 3 February 1757 Picerno, Basilicata
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| Died | 22 July 1833 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ophthalmology |
| Institutions | Hôtel national des Invalides Hôtel-Dieu |
Joseph-Nicolas-Blaise Forlenze (born Giuseppe Nicolò Leonardo Biagio Forlenza, 3 February 1757 – 22 July 1833) was an Italian eye doctor, also known as an ophthalmologist, and a surgeon. He is seen as one of the most important eye doctors from the late 1700s to the early 1800s. He became very famous in France during the French Revolution and the time of Napoleon, especially for his amazing cataract surgery.
A Life Dedicated to Eyesight
Joseph Forlenze was born in Picerno, a town in Basilicata, Italy. His family had many doctors, including his father and uncles. They were surgeons for a noble family. Joseph first studied surgery in Naples. Then, he moved to France to learn more from a famous surgeon named Pierre-Joseph Desault. They became good friends and worked together on studying the human body.
After his time in France, Forlenze traveled to England. He spent two years there, gaining more experience at St George's Hospital in London. This hospital was led by another well-known surgeon, John Hunter. Joseph also visited the Netherlands and Germany to further his medical knowledge. When he returned to France, he started his career as an eye doctor. He became very good at identifying different eye diseases. He even made wax models to show what these diseases looked like.
In 1797, Forlenze performed an eye surgery at a retirement home in Paris. Many important people watched, including government officials and scholars. In 1798, he became a surgeon at two major hospitals in Paris: the Hôtel national des Invalides and the Hôtel-Dieu. There, he performed many successful eye operations.
Forlenze helped soldiers from Napoleon's army who came back from Egypt with serious eye problems. He also treated famous people, like Jean-Étienne-Marie Portalis, who was a government minister, and the poet Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun. Forlenze removed a cataract from one of Lebrun's eyes that had been there for twelve years! The poet was so grateful that he wrote a special verse about Forlenze in one of his poems.
Napoleon himself recognized Forlenze's talent. He gave him an important job: "eye surgeon for all schools, public hospitals, and charities across the Empire." This meant Forlenze traveled all over France to treat people with eye diseases.
His work wasn't just in France. He also performed free surgeries in England and Italy, in cities like Turin and Rome. In Rome, he treated Cardinal Doria and was honored by Caroline de Bourbon, the Duchesse de Berry. One of his important writings, Considérations sur l'opération de la pupille artificielle (1805), is still seen as a very important medical book from that time. Joseph Forlenze passed away on 22 July 1833 in Paris.
Honors and Recognition
Joseph Forlenze received several important awards for his contributions to medicine:
He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour. This is a very high award in France.
He was also given the title of Honorary Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George. This is an important award from the United Kingdom.
