HIRSCHLER, IGNÁC

HIRSCHLER, IGNÁC (1823–1891), pioneer ophthalmologist in Hungary. Born in Pressburg, he studied medicine in Vienna and Paris, returning to Hungary in 1849. Unable to obtain the position of lecturer at the University of Pest, he became ophthalmic physician in the hospital for poor children and later physician in Pest general hospital. His skillful eye surgery and scientific work won him the status of researcher. He introduced new methods and published studies in various European periodicals. From 1869 he was a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Hirschler was also active in Jewish public life and from 1861 to 1863 was president of the Jewish community of Pest, acting as chairman of the general Jewish Congress of 1868–69. From 1885, he was a member of the Hungarian Upper House. Among his important works are Zur Casuistik der Anaesthesie und Hyperaesthesie der Netzhaut (1874), Adat a szaruhártya gyurmájába lerakódott festanyag ismeretéhez (1872), Adatok a látóhártya maradvány kórodai ismertetéséhez (1874), and his Autobiographisches Fragment (1891). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: M. Kayserling, in: AZDJ, 55 (1891), 591–2; Zs. Vidor, in: Szemészet (1960), 178–86; L. Varga, ibid., 58–66; Zs. Groszmann, A pesti zsidó gyülekezet alkotmányának története (1934); Emlékkönyv… Hevesi Simon (1934), 159–62. (Jeno Zsoldos)