John Cunningham Saunders

John Cunningham Saunders was an English surgeon and oculist, born in Huish, Devon, in 1773 and dead at thirty-six in 1810. He is remembered for founding in 1805 the London Dispensary for Curing Diseases of the Eye and Ear, later the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital and today Moorfields Eye Hospital, which he directed until his death. The article says he acted out of compassion for soldiers returning from the Egyptian campaign with trachoma and other eye disease. He did pioneering work on the surgery of cataracts, and in 1809 he was among the first in England to use belladonna for its pupil-widening effect to help with cataract extraction. His book on practical points in the diseases of the eye appeared in 1811 after his death, edited by his colleague John Richard Farre and printed by subscription to support his widow.