Lacrimal Disorders and Surgery: Historical Perspectives

Abstract

The evolution of lacrimal surgeries and the understanding of lacrimal disorders has been an amazing journey! From times immemorial, lacrimal disorders have continued to intrigue mankind and pose significant challenges. Tough problems have fortunately met tougher wise men at the right time and the science continued to evolve at a rapid pace. The spectrum of events in this journey can be captured in two wise quotations, one of Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) who lauded the culture of each contributor building a higher platform for the subsequent one to fly higher; and of Sir Rudolph Virchow (1821–1905), who not long ago expressed his pain at the diminishing number of students who learn from history in subsequent generations.