Alfred Carl Graefe

Alfred Carl Graefe (23 November 1830 - 12 April 1899) was a German ophthalmologist born in Martinskirchen.

He studied medicine in Halle and Berlin, later becoming a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Halle. He was cousin to famed oculist Albrecht von Graefe.

Alfred Graefe was known for his work with ocular motility disorders, particularly strabismus. He was a pioneer of aseptic ophthalmic surgery involving efforts for prevention of surgical complications such as endophthalmitis. He collaborated with Edwin Theodor Saemisch in publishing an epic ophthalmological work titled Handbuch des gesamten Augenheilkunde.

Graefe was physician to composer Franz Liszt when the latter suffered from failing vision. A date for cataract surgery was planned in September 1886, however Liszt died during the summer, and the surgery never took place.

Written works

• Klinische Analyse der Motilitätsstörungen des menschlichen Auges, (Berlin 1858).
• Symptomenlehre der Augenmuskellähmungen, (1867).
• Ein Wort zur Erinnerung an A. v. Graefe, (Halle 1870).
• Handbuch der gesamten Augenheilkunde, (Leipzig 1874-1880) (with Theodor Saemisch)

References

• Essay on Graefe & Liszt
• Parts of this article are based on a translation of the equivalent article from the German Wikipedia.