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De Wenzel's treatise on cataract is probably the least known of the volumes published thus far. However, it is worthy of inclusion, since it stands as an important landmark in the historical development of cataract surgery.
The de Wenzels were a father and son team and were active during the middle and latter parts of the 18th century. The book, written by the son, was based on four decades of ophthalmic experience by his father, who never published anything himself. The original French edition first appeared in Paris in 1786. The authors' exact dates of birth are not known; nor are there any published facts about their education. The de Wenzels traveled all over Europe, operating in Germany, Holland, Hungary, France, and England. The father remained one of the most famous of the itinerant cataract surgeons. The son eventually settled in Paris and became a prominent ophthalmologist. Unlike some of