Robert Marcus Gunn (1850-1909).

Abstract

Robert Marcus Gunn (Fig. 1), a remarkable figure in the history of Scottish medicine, is best remembered for his contributions to neuro-ophthalmology [1]. Gunn was born in 1850 in Dunnet, Sutherlandshire, in Northwest Scotland. His father was a farmer [1]. He spent his school years in Golspie; then, at the age of 14, he began studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and the University of St Andrews (Scotland) [2, 3]. Gunn graduated in 1873 [4]. It seems that Gunn taught himself direct ophthalmoscopy using a De Wecker’s ophthalmoscope during his medical education, a skill that was of great use to him in his future life as a highly skilled ophthalmoscopist [2]. During his medical education, Gunn had the honor of studying under the direction of some renowned scholars of the time, including the Scottish surgeon James Syme (1799–1870) and Sir Joseph Lister (1827–1912), a British surgeon. Nevertheless, among these teachers, Gunn’s acquaintance with Douglas Argyll Robertson (1837–1909), a Scottish ophthalmologist and surgeon, affected him greatly and prompted his eagerness to study ophthalmology [2, 4]. After graduation, Gunn began attendance at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, especially John Couper’s practice, and gained his postgraduate education there [2, 3]. At University College London, he became involved in the study of comparative anatomy of the eye with Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer (1850–1935), one of the founders of the British school of physiology [3, 4]. Vienna was Gunn’s next destination where he went in December of 1874, staying until June 1875. There, he studied under Eduard Jager von Jaxtthal (1818–1884), Carl Ferdinand Ritter von Arlt (1812–1887), and Karl Stellwag von Carion (1823–1904), three Austrian ophthalmologists. He then returned to London and joined the staff of Moorfields Eye Hospital [1, 3, 4]. In 1876, Gunn was appointed Junior House-Surgeon, and in December of that year, he was promoted to Senior House-Surgeon. Gunn retained this post till November 1879 [3]. In December 1879, his interest in the comparative anatomy of the eye led Gunn to Australia to collect eye specimens from marsupials [1]. He published the results of his observations there in the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology. This work attracted the attention of the famous English surgeon, histologist, and anatomist, Sir William Bowman (1816–1892) [2]. Gunn achieved his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1882 and was appointed Assistant Surgeon to Moorfields Eye Hospital in August 1883. About that same year, Gunn was appointed Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Hospital for Sick Children and in 1886 he was assigned as Ophthalmic Surgeon to the National Hospital for the Paralyzed and Epileptic, Queen Square. He became Full Surgeon in 1888. In 1898, Gunn was appointed VicePresident for the Section of Ophthalmology of the British Medical Association and became President of the Section in 1906 [1, 2, 4]. & Behnam Dalfardi Dalfardibeh@gmail.com