Military ophthalmia and the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt

Summary In 1798 the French armies landed in Egypt. During this campaign both the French and the British troops were confronted with eye infections. When they returned home the disease spread all over Europe. The Dutch army was also affected. When Belgium became independent in 1830, there were major discussions as what caused the disease. Some called “compressionist” considered it neither to be contagious nor Egyptian, but the consequence of the pressure of the leather collar on the jugulars and of the heavy shako on the forehead. For the others the “contagionists” the disease was highly contagious and spread directly from patients to healthy soldiers although there was also a possibility of “miasma”. The uniform was adapted and hygienic measures were taken. Unfortunately one decision with dramatic repercussions was sending home diseased soldiers. As a result the disease spread within the civilian population and became a major health issue. The very first international congress of ophthalmology was held in Brussels in 1857 and one of the major topics was the “military ophthalmia”. With strict measures the disease was eventually controlled although some regions were still affected up to the end of the 19th Century.