Theodore John Dimitry Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 26, 1879 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | October 27, 1945 (aged 66) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Resting place | Metairie Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Tulane University |
| Known for | Dimitry Erisiphake Plastic Eye (lucite) |
| Spouse |
Fernande Jacobs
(m. 1901–1945) |
| Children | Earl Dimitry Theodore Joseph Dimitry Jr. |
| Father | Theodore John Dimitry |
| Relatives | Marianne Celeste Dragon George Pandely Ernest Lagarde Charles Patton Dimitry |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine Optometry |
| Institutions | Tulane University Loyola University Charity Hospital Louisiana State University Hôtel-Dieu |
| Family | Dimitry Family (Creoles) |
Theodore John Dimitry Jr. (June 26, 1879 - October 27, 1945) was a Creole physician, optometrist, professor, author and inventor. He was a pioneer in the field of optometry responsible for developing the Dimitry Erisiphake and a plastic eye made of lucite to permit motion.[1][2] Theodore's vast contribution to the field of optometry also included the publication of hundreds of articles in different medical journals. He was a member of one of the oldest Creole families in New Orleans known as the Dimitry Family. His great-grandmother was Marianne Celeste Dragon.[3][4]
Theodore was born in New Orleans to Theodore John Dimitry Sr. and Irene Scott. By 1901, Theodore Jr. obtained a degree in medicine from Tulane University. Early in his medical career, he worked for various government institutions in Louisiana. By 1908, he began to conduct medical research in the field of optometry and teach at Tulane University. Eventually, he taught at Loyola University and began to write papers on the subjects of trachoma, cataract, glaucoma, enucleation of the eye and ptosis. Theodore began to publish his research on artificial eyes in 1918. He continued his career in teaching and academic research until the 1940s.[5][6]
Theodore was the head of the ophthalmology department at Louisiana State University and also the head of the ophthalmology department at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He was a regent in the South of the International College of Surgeons and a member of countless medical organizations including: the American College of Surgeons, and the Louisiana Medical Association. Theodore was the vice president of the Ophthalmological and Otolaryngological Club of Orleans Parish Medical Society.[7] He was honored by Loyola University for distinction in the field of optometry. Both of his sons Earl Dimitry and Theodore Joseph Dimitry Jr. became medical doctors. Countless institutions were shocked by his death due to his valuable continued contribution to the field of medicine. He died at 66 years of age after a prolonged illness that lasted one year. He was buried at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.[6][5]
- ^ Thomas 2023.
- ^ Staff Writers (September 10, 2023). "Erisiphake Set". Washington, D.C.: National Museum of American History. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ Pecquet du Bellet 1907a, p. 172.
- ^ "Dr. T.J. Dimitry Eye Specialist Dies" (PDF). New Orleans States, Volume 66, No. 256. New Orleans, Louisiana: New Orleans States. October 27, 1945. p. 2, col. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ a b Sebastian 2018, p. 612.
- ^ a b "Death Takes Dr. Dimitry" (PDF). New Orleans Item, No. 118. New Orleans, Louisiana: New Orleans Item. October 27, 1945. p. 7, col. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ Chassaignac 1921, p. 282.