Tim Bowden and Andrew Gasson continue their series describing the life and work of most of the scientists and clinicians who have helped to develop contact lenses
EDMUND PLAICE (1903-1993)
Edmund Albert Plaice originally worked at Hamblins in London with Dick Smellie (optician, April 1), leaving in 1937 to start the contact lens department for Clement Clarke. He had travelled with Charles Keeler (optician, March 25) to Utrecht to learn the manufacture and fitting techniques for glass scleral lenses. He also spent three months during 1937 in Debrecen, Hungary, to gain experience with other facial prostheses.
Plaice, who had both the FBOA and FSMC qualifications, left Clement Clarke in 1945 to start his own laboratory. His contributions to contact lenses included the ptosis prop, the contact lens foreign body locator and the lead eye protector from X-rays. Together with Treissman he published Principles of the Contact Lens in 1946, a small book 'intended primarily for the use of ophthalmologists'.
Plaice predominantly used the impression method and in 1949 he accepted an invitation to run the contact lens department at London's Royal Eye Hospital. He continued fitting artificial eyes there until 1976 when the department was taken over by Jennifer Chaston.
Harry J Birchall joined C W Dixey in Birmingham during 1904, becoming a partner in 1921 and eventually its managing director. He was a council member of the Guild of Dispensing Opticians and a Fellow of the Association of Dispensing Opticians. In addition, he held the FSMC and FBOA qualifications. By reputation, he was a quiet, retiring man with a penchant for loud American cars, although he never sought the limelight.
HERMANN TREISMAN (1901-1963)
Herman Treissman did his medical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital. He gained his FRCS in December 1936 and DOMS in 1944. He became house surgeon at the Nottingham and Midland Eye Infirmary, clinical assistant at the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital and chief assistant at Moorfields. He was also honorary ophthalmic surgeon at the King Edward Memorial Hospital, Ealing, and co-author with Edmund Plaice of Principles of the Contact Lens. Here, in 1946, they stated: 'It may be mentioned that, in the opinion of the authors, the methods devised by Dr Dallos have not, so far, been improved upon.' Treissman preferred the impression method with flush fittings, but differed from Dallos in routinely using modified PMMA sclerals.
During World War II Treissman served in the RAF Medical Service as an ophthalmic specialist with the rank of Squadron Leader. He practised at 78 Harley Street. He was joint secretary, with Robert Fletcher, of the Contact lens Society and later edited and printed Contact Lens Abstracts. He was one of the first BOA contact lens examiners.
Treissman was tall in stature and of almost dandified appearance. He often wore a fluorescein-coloured waistcoat, possibly to disguise any splashes from sealed lenses which were inserted filled with fluorescein and saline or sodium bicarbonate.
HARRY BIRCHALL (d1952)
Harry J Birchall joined C W Dixey in Birmingham during 1904, becoming a partner in 1921 and eventually its managing director. He was a council member of the Guild of Dispensing Opticians and a Fellow of the Association of Dispensing Opticians. In addition, he held the FSMC and FBOA qualifications. By reputation, he was a quiet, retiring man with a penchant for loud American cars, although he never sought the limelight.
Birchall fitted glass Zeiss scleral lenses at Dixey's premises in Cavendish Square between 1930 and the outbreak of the war in 1939. At this time, he began to work with the engineer Cyril Winter, in the company's engineering shop at 144 Marylebone Lane to build a contact lens lathe.
Ultimately, this was used for the manufacture of the first PMMA scleral lenses in the UK.