Luigi Preziosi

Count Sir Luigi Preziosi (29 July 1888 – 30 July 1965) was a Maltese politician and a doctor who specialized in ophthalmology. He was mostly known for devising an original operation for the treatment of glaucoma in 1924, which remained in use for many decades. He was born in the village of Sliema, Malta on 29 July 1888, the second son of the seventh Count Preziosi of Malta. He graduated in the Royal University of Malta in 1907 and subsequently specialised in ophthalmology in Oxford in 1920.[1]

Career

World War One and World War Two

During the First World War, Luigi Preziosi was a medical officer in the RAMC, while in the Second World War he served as an ophthalmic surgeon and consultant.

Medicine

In 1924 he was appointed as Professor of Ophthalmology in the University of Malta. He was unusual interested in trachoma — a diseases prevalent in Malta at the time. In his early years, however he obtained his greatest reputation internationally for his treatment of glaucoma which was first published in 1924. He referred to this operation initially as electro-cautery puncture and later simply as Preziosi’s operation. The procedure was considered an advance over the other available filtering operations such as trephination, sclerectomy and iridencleisis. The operation was discussed at various international ophthalmic congresses over the years. It was further developed by Harold G. Scheie in 1957. Preziosi’s operation for glaucoma remained in use for many years until the development of trabeculectomy.

Politics

Preziosi was actively involved in politics. He was a member of the UPM and later in the interest of the Nationalist Party until 1949 when he retired.

Personal life

He was born on 29 July 1888.

He got married to the Noble Lugarda Chapelle dei Baroni di San Giovanni on 29 April 1920 and had three children.

Following the death of his father, Luigi inherited the hereditary noble title of count and became the 8th Count of Preziosi. He became a member and later president of the Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility. He was knighted in the 1948 New Year Honours.[2]

Count Sir Luigi Preziosi died on 30 July 1965 in Malta.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Virtual Medical History Museum, Professor of Ophthalmology. "Luigi Preziosi, Sir Count". Malta: UNIVERSITY OF MALTA Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38161. pp. 1–2. 30 December 1947. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Obituary Count Sir Luigi Preziosi" (PDF). London: The British Journal of Ophthalmology (BJO). Retrieved 24 January 2016.
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