History
The first references to cataract and its treatment in Ancient Rome are found in 29 CE in De Medicinae, the work of the Latin encyclopedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus. The Romans were pioneers in the health arena—particularly in the area of eye care.
Other early accounts are those in Sanskrit medical literature. Early cataract surgery was described by the Indian physician, Suśruta (fl. ca. AD 200). For a full citation translated from the original Sanskrit, see the Wikipedia entry on Cataract Surgery.
The Muslim ophthalmologist Ammar ibn Ali, in his Choice of Eye Diseases, written circa 1000 CE, wrote of his invention of a syringe and the technique of cataract extraction while experimenting with it on a patient.
Read more about this topic: Cataract
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