International Congress of Ophthalmology

International Congress of Ophthalmology Congrès international d'ophtalmology
Status	Active
Genre	Ophthalmology conference
Frequency	Biennial
Location(s)	Varies
Country	Varies
Founded	September 13, 1857; 167 years ago (September 13, 1857), Brussels, Belgium
Founder	Dr. Évariste Warlomont

The International Congress of Ophthalmology (French: Congrès international d'ophtalmology, or International Ophthalmological Congress), now known as the World Ophthalmology Congress is a biennial international scientific conference to promote ophthalmological science.^[1]

Dr. Évariste Warlomont, who was Editor-in-chief of the French optometry journal Annales d'oculistique and later Director of the Ophthalmic Institute, first suggested and carried into effect the idea of an Ophthalmological Congress.^[2] A call to ophthalmologists and physicians interested in the field was issued on January 15, 1857, by an organizing committee formed by the editorial board of Annales d'oculistique to plan a special ophthalmology congress.^[3]

The original Organizing Committee of the First International Ophthalmological Congress consisted of Dr. Louis S. Fallot, President of the Academy of Medicine of Belgium; Dr. J. Bosch, Surgeon of the Brabant Ophthalmic Institute; Dr. F. Hairion, Director of the Brabant Ophthalmic Institute; and Dr. J. Van Roosbroeck; Director of the Brabant Ophthalmic Institute. Dr. Évariste Warlomont acted as the secretary general of the congress.^[2]

When over 150 ophthalmologists from 24 countries gathered in Brussels, Belgium in 1857, the First Periodic International Congress of Ophthalmology (French: Congrès Périodique International D'Ophthalmologie) was inaugurated and the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) was established.^[3]

The first Congress of Brussels occurred from September 13 to September 16, 1857, at the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium and the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium at the museum.^[4]

The 1862 International Congress of Ophthalmology was held in Paris, France.

Following the second Congress, the 1862 Organizing Committee chose Vienna, Austria as the next location for its meeting, originally set for August 1866. The Vienna Committee, led by Frédéric Jules Sichel, with Dr. Félix Giraud-Teulon and Dr. Louis de Wecker, postponed the Congress due to political unrest during the Unification of Germany and moved it to Paris, France. In 1867, Paris hosted the International Ophthalmological Congress for the second time, from August 12 to 14. The Congress was presided over by Albrecht von Graefe, with Carl Ferdinand von Arlt and Dr. J. F. Vleminckx as vice-presidents, and Giraud-Teulon and Louis de Wecker as secretaries.^[5]

Opening on August 1, 1872, the Fourth International Ophthalmological Congress was held in London, England until the 3rd of the month. Dutch ophthalmologist Dr. Franciscus Donders held the role of president. The Congress was granted use of the Royal College of Physicians library by its council.^[2] At the end of the London session, a provisional committee of New Yorkers Dr. Cornelius Rea Agnew, Dr. Henry Drury Noyes, and Dr. Daniel Bennett St. John Roosa were selected to organize the next International Congress. Cincinnati's Dr. E. Williams was appointed by the committee to be the next president of the International Congress.

The Fifth Congress of Ophthalmology was held at Chickering Hall in New York City from September 12 to September 14, 1876.^[6] Once the congress was adjourned, the American Ophthalmological Society held a banquet for the foreign delegates at Delmonico's.^[1] New York physician H.D. Noye's committee of choice for the next Congress in Milan, Italy included Dr. Hansen of Copenhagen, Prof. Becker of Heidleberg, and Prof. Arlt of Vienna.

At the 1880 Congress in Milan, Italy, Dr. Quaglino was elected by the committee to preside. It was held from September 1 to 4, 1880.

In 1888, the Seventh Congress was held in Heidelberg from August 8 to 11. Dr. Franciscus Donders, who presided over the London Congress, took on the role of president for the second time at the Congress in Heidelberg.^[3]

Edinburgh, Scotland was the venue for the Eighth International Ophthalmological Congress, which took place from August 7 to 10, 1894. The 1894 International Ophthalmological Congress, led by President Douglas Argyll Robertson, included Sir Henry Rosborough Swanzy of Dublin and Mr. Power of London as vice-presidents, and Dr. George A. Berry as General Secretary. The first session opened with Robertson's address at the Physiology Department of Edinburgh University, followed by a speech from Lord Provost of Edinburgh James Alexander Russell, who was named an Honorary Member of the Congress.^[7]

In 1899, the Ninth Ophthalmological Congress took place in Utrecht in the Netherlands. German ophthalmologist Richard Liebreich painted a portrait of Albrecht von Graefe, which he exhibited at the International Ophthalmological Congress.^[8]

The proceedings of the Twelfth International Congress in Washington, D.C. took place from April 25 to the 28 in 1922.^[9]

The Eighteenth International Congress of Ophthalmology was held from September 8 to 12, 1958, in Brussels, nearly 100 years after the first-ever congress in Belgium.^[10]