Career
In 1912 he earned his medical doctorate, and later worked as an assistant at ophthalmology clinics in Graz and Vienna. In 1892 he received his habilitation at the University of Graz, and from 1907 to 1933 was a full professor and head of the University of Prague Eye Clinic. He is best known for performing corneal transplants in the early days of keratoplasty, being credited with developing a method introduced by Arthur von Hippel (1841-1916).
Elschnig described this surgical procedure in the "Archives of Ophthalmology" (1930, 4: 165-173).
He was the publisher of the second and third editions of the Graefe-Saemisch Handbuch der gesamten Augenheilkunde. "Elschnig"s conjunctivitis": Conjunctivitis associated with hyperplasia of the tarsal gland.
"Elschnig"s pearls": Pearl-like clusters formed by growth of epithelial cells on the lens capsule in secondary cataract formation. "Elschnig"s spots": phenomena of black flecks surrounded by yellow or red halos as seen by ophthalmoscope.
lieutenant occurs in cases of advanced hypertensive retinopathy, represent focal choroidal infarcts.
