title: [Discovery of Loa ophthalmia by the French ship's surgeon François Guyot (1742-1816)].
abstract: We are indebted to François Guyot (4. 10. 1742-13. 6. 1816) for the term "loa," designating a species of filaria, pathogenic in humans, which is common tropical West Africa. Biographical details about this French ship's surgeon are published here for the first time. On several slave-trading voyages between Africa and America, Guyot noticed that some of the negroes suffered from recurrent ophthalmia. He established that it was caused by a worm roaming around under the conjunctiva, and succeeded in extracting the parasite. In 26 May 1781 Guyot submitted a report on his findings to the "Académie Royale de Chirurgie" in Paris. This article discusses details of the report, which was hitherto believed lost.
mesh_terms: D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000266:history*; D005368:Filariasis / Q000266:history*; D005602:France; D006666:History of Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008118:Loiasis / Q000266:history*; D009326:Naval Medicine / Q000266:history*
vernacular_title: Die Entdeckung der Loa-Ophthalmie durch den französischen Schiffschirurgen François Guyot (1742-1816).