Education
Arthur von Hippel studied medicine at the Universities of Königsberg, Munich and Berlin, where he earned his doctorate in 1864.
Arthur von Hippel studied medicine at the Universities of Königsberg, Munich and Berlin, where he earned his doctorate in 1864.
He was the father of ophthalmologist Eugen von Hippel (1867-1938). Following graduation he furthered his training in Prague, and afterwards became an assistant at the eye clinic at Konigsberg. In 1879 he became a "full professor" of ophthalmology at the University of Giessen, and in 1890 returned as a professor to the University of Königsberg.
Von Hippel made contributions in his research of intraocular pressure, color blindness and near-sightedness, but is remembered for his pioneer work in lamellar keratoplasty.
In 1886 he grafted a full-thickness cornea from a rabbit into the lamellar bed of a young female patient. After the operation the girl was able to count fingers at a distance of two meters, for a visual acuity of 20/200.
He is also credited for the invention of a mechanized trephine for corneal procedures. This device became the prototype for trephines that are used in ophthalmology today.