Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 2331.5

IDA MANN (1893-1983) Developmental abnormalities of the eye The University press, published for the British journal of ophthalmology 1937 First xi, 444 p. illus. (part col.) col. plates, diagrs. 25 cm.

Ida Caroline Mann studied at the London School for Medicine for Women and at St Mary's Hospital in London, qualifying in 1920. In 1921 she was instrumental in introducing the slit lamp to England. She became ophthalmic surgeon at the Elizabeth Garret Anderson Hospital from 1922-1925 and by 1927 she was appointed assistant surgeon at Moorfields where she worked until 1949 as a senior surgeon. She became Professor of Ophthalmology at Oxford in 1945. Thus she was the first female professor of Ophthalmology and the first female professor of any subject at Oxford. Because of her husband's health she moved to Australia in 1949 where she held a number of hospital and government appointments. Ida Mann became interested in contact lenses during 1928 after attending an international ophthalmology conference in Amsterdam. By 1932 she had become dissatisfied with the current contact lens methods and criticised the 'afocal method of varying corneal and scleral curves.' In 1937, at the suggestion of Gerald Hamblin, she travelled to Hungary with Rugg-Gunn and Williamson-Noble to evaluate the work of Dallos. Later that year Ida Mann persuaded Dallos to come to London and the first contact lens centre in England was established at 18 Cavendish Square, London. In 1946 she became the first President of the newly formed Contact Lens Society.

Cited references: Garrison & Morton 5987

John Martin M.D. Endowment