Sixty-five years for the first Lithuanian manual of ophthalmology

Birutė Briaukienė

Department of Languages and Education, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania

Key words: terminology, medical terms, Lithuanian ophthalmology terms.

Summary. This review is dedicated to a famous Lithuanian professor, born 130 years ago, outstanding ophthalmologist of that time Petras Avižonis. In 1922–1923 he worked as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Lithuanian University, in 1924–1925 as Vice Rector, in 1925–1926 as Rector. He was the founder and chief of the Department and Clinic of Ophthalmology. The first Lithuanian study of ophthalmology called “Manual of Ophthalmology” was written by Petras Avižonis 65 years ago. This work remains significant not only for the medical science but also for the science of the Lithuanian language and has retained its value till now. It is known that Petras Avižonis created over 250 Lithuanian medical terms. The terms created by him play an important role in the modern Lithuanian terminology of medicine; and his linguistic work made a huge impact on the Lithuanian language and the national culture as a whole.

Correspondence to B. Briaukienė, Department of Languages and Education, Kaunas University of Medicine, A. Mickevičiaus 9, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: brbirute@one.lt

Received 14 February 2005, accepted 22 June 2005