CONTACT LENS HISTORY

THE UK PIONEERS

Andrew Rugg-Gunn (1884-1972)

Andrew Rugg-Gunn graduated from Edinburgh University in 1907.  After working in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he was appointed ophthalmic surgeon at London's Western Ophthalmic Hospital from 1912-1951.  He served as ophthalmologist to the 16^th Indian Division during World War I and was promoted to the rank of Captain.

Early Zeiss lens container (Courtesy Contact Lens Collection, British College of Optometrists)

Rugg-Gunn published his first paper on contact lenses in The Lancet during 1930.  He was aware of Fick's earlier work and the then current limitations imposed on optical manufacturers in grinding glass to the required shape.  He felt that success with blown lenses was superior but often a lucky accident.

In 1931 Rugg-Gunn used the afocal Zeiss lenses developed by Leopold Heine of Kiel University , Germany, which relied on a liquid lens for visual correction. They were inserted with Holocaine 2% saline diluted with warm water.  Rugg-Gunn suggested that "The prescribing of Contact Glasses is not so much an optical problem as an orthopaedic one.  Good vision depends entirely on corneal curvature but comfort depends on scleral curvature and in the last analysis it is comfort that determines whether a glass shall or shall not be worn."

Early Zeiss instruction leaflet (Courtesy Contact Lens Collection, British College of Optometry)

In 1959 Rugg Peak in Antarctica, on the west coast of Graham Land, was named after Rugg-Gunn who in 1934 brought together the relevant data on radiation and protective glasses to improve the design of snow goggles.

'Contact Glasses for Ametropia', The Lancet 219, 1930(2) 1067-1069.

'Contact Glass for Amblyopia', Optician 26/12/30.

'Contact Glasses', Br J. Ophthalmol, 15, 549, Oct 5 1931.

'Contact Glasses', Trans.  Ophthalmol Soc.  U.K. , 51, 477 ( Oxford Ophthalmic Congress, 9-11 November 1931.

'Some Points in the fitting of contact Lenses', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 25, 478 section of ophthalmology, 13 November 1931.

'Bilateral Conical Cornea with History of Acute Ectasia; Contact Glass Correction', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 28,1935 1412-1414.

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