J~rn Boberg-Ans 1916-1984

Herr, Lehre doch mich, Das ein Ende mit mir haben muss, Und mein Leben ein Ziel hat, Und ich davon muss.

-"Ein Deutsches Requiem," Johannes Brahms Psalm 39:4

Nrn Boberg-Ans, M.D., M.D.Sc., eye surgeon, slipped away on January 10, 1984.

Ne diutumum quidem quidquam videtur, in quo est aliquid extremum. Cum enim id advenit, tum illud, quod praeteriit, effiuxit; tantum remanet, quod virtute et recte factis consecutus sis. Horae quidem cedunt et dies et menses et anni, nec praeteritum tempus urn quam revertitur, nec quid sequatur sciri potest. Quod cuique temporis ad vivendum datur, eo debet esse contentus.

-De Senectute., Marcus Tullius Cicero

Born on June 21, 1916, J~rn earned an M.D. degree in Sweden, where he lived as a refugee from the Nazi regime which took over his native Denmark, and a Doctor of Medical Sciences degree from the University· of Copenhagen. His ophthalmic training took him to the schools of Lund, Malmo, Falun, Moorfield Eye Hospital, Copenhagen, Uddevalla, Vanersborg, Cbstersund, Vis by, and Boden. After ten years of inten­sive training, he took his place among ophthalmologists and entered private practice in 1954.

In 1959, J~rn opened his private surgical eye clinic, the only such establishment in Scandinavia. With this step, he pioneered outpatient ophthalmic surgery in a highly civilized country, where the usual routine was to utilize the many well-equipped hospital departments readily available.

Microsurgery became standard for him in 1956, mak­ing him one of the world's first ophthalmic micro­surgeons. His inquisitive and innovative mind led him to lens implantation in the late 1950s. His early lens design, an anterior chamber angle fixed lens, incorpo­rated the principles of fenestration, open J-Ioop, semi-rigidity, weight reduction, and all-of-one­material (lathe-cut PMMA) construction as early as 1960, pioneering ideas which, even today, would be considered very modern.

His 33 articles, 20 original movies, 56 lectures and reports covered most aspects of ophthalmology from "Ophthalmological Problems of Flying" (1948) and the successful defense of his M.D.Sc. dissertation on "Corneal Sensitivity with Special Reference to Clinical Methods of Examination" through trauma, tumor, glaucoma, ocular pharmacology, strabismus, corneal graft, combined operations, microsurgery, and intra­ocular lenses.

J ~rn' s latest posterior cham ber lens is one of the most popular among European surgeons for both intracap­sular and extracapsular surgery in primary and second­ary conditions. His instrument inventions and designs introduced new tools and improved many old ones.

Nrn and his wife Sonja became the most beloved members of the internatioqal ophthalmic community. They were inseparable, and the deep respect and love they felt toward each other, their loving family ties with children and grandchildren were, in our hectic, divorce-ridden society, a most heartwarming experi­ence and inspiration to all of us. I must quote what Nrn himself wrote about Sonja in his curriculum vitae be­cause it tells us so much about him and about them.

"I have always considered my wife, Mrs. Sonja Boberg-Ans, born Lottrup-Andersen, born on 11 Oc­tober 1920, to be a most vital part of my life, private as well as professional. Some years after our marriage on 18 December 1943, she gave up her medical study and has since been my guide and critic in my scientific productions. She has been my permanent surgical as­sistant, being responsible for the organisation and maintenance of the operating theatre. She has partici­pated in nearly all of the previously-mentioned confer­ences, meetings and courses. Thus, she appears in the photograph as a founding member of the International

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Intraocular Implant Club as well as a participant in the founding meeting of the International Ophthalmic Study Group. She has been the active organizer of the four Charlottenlund Ophthalmological ~onferences and other private meetings."

This love for each other and for life was generously extended to their innumerable friends. We have at­tended many meetings together. They always placed candles and flowers or chocolate in my room to break the loneliness and create a home atmosphere for me and for many of their other friends. They traveled with their own bar in order to be able to receive visitors at any time of the day or night and enjoy the company of and share ideas with the innumerable professional and personal friends they had throughout the world.

Nrn and Sonja were indeed the founding members and the early and permanent souls of the IIIC, which he served as vice president, and the Ophthalmic Microsurgical Study Group, two organizations which achieved worldwide fame and stature in scientific cir­cles. Nrn was also a member of the Barraquer Insti­tutes of both Barcelona and Bogota and a leading member of many other organizations, which he ac­tively supported in research and clinical ophthalmology.

His training included surgery, neurology, neurosur­gery, and general medical practice, making him aware of human problems considered from the patient's point

of view. Hence, his publications in industrial medi­cine, prevention of blindness, aiding the low-vision patient, and many others.

One ofJ~rn' s and Sonja's great accomplishments was the organization of the four Charlottenlund Eye Con­ferences, wonderful, inspiring, stimulating, informal scientific meetings of invited friends, from which gath­erings many scientific works were born.

Death met him suddenly in a happy moment of his life, full of peace, joy, and love, relaxing on the beach at Brunei with one of his daughters, Bobo, and her chil­dren. The sound of the crackling of the wood at his funeral pyre was mixed with the gentle music of the breaking of the sea waves on the beach. His ashes, placed in simple earthenware, were returned to the soil of the planet on which he was so firmly grounded and which he made a better place to live.

Our hearts go out to his family. We were made richer by his presence, his friendship. We thank his family, Sonja, Glen, Bobo, Jannik, and their families, for shar­ing him with us.

Uber allen Gipfeln 1st Ruh, In allen Wipfeln Spiirest du Kaum einen Hauch; Die Vogelein schweigen im Walde. Warte nur, balde Ruhest du auch.

-"Ein Gleiches," Johann Wolfgang Goethe

John J. Alpar, M.D. Amarillo, Texas

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