WILLIAM ZENTMAYER, M.D. BY Warren S. Reese, M.D.

DR. WILLIATM ZENTMAYER, oldest ex-president of the American Ophthalmological Society, died on the evening of March 18, 1958, during an attack of angina pectoris, in his 94th vear. This attack was secondary to a coronary thrombosis, suffered one month earlier. Thus passed a distinguished, possibly unique figure in ophthalmology, the dean of his profession in Philadelphia and probably in the United States. 18 Necrology Dr. Zentmayer was born on October 28, 1864, the son of Joseph and Katherine Zentmayer. His father, who emigrated from Germany, was as eminent an optician as the son was an ophthalmologist, and undoubtedly influenced the son to study ophthalmology. Mr. Zentmayer established his firm in Philadelphia in 1853 and soon won a worldwide reputation for his work and inventions on microscopes. The Franklin Institute awarded him the Elliott Cresson gold medal in 1874, the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia a gold medal in 1876, and the Paris Exhibition a third in 1878 for this work. During his time, there was not a maker of microscopes in the world who did not use some of his important inventions. A photographic lens that he conceived theoretically, and then made, was so radically original that when it was first described his European confreres called it incredible and an American exaggeration. He was among the first to limit his business in spectacles to prescriptions from ophthalmologists; and, as early as 1860, ground sphero-cylindrical lenses. It was due to men like Dr. Zentmayer and his father that during this period Philadelphia was one of the greatest optical and ophthalmologic centers in the world. Dr. Zentmayer's numerous contributions to literature were all care- fully and thoughtfully executed, and he was frequently asked to discuss papers. He was Chairman of the Section of the American Medical Association, 1916-17, and President of the American Ophthalmological Society, 1926-7. These positions and others he obtained through sheer merit, as he was not especially gregarious though a witty and interest- ing conversationalist. He was a bachelor, and his main interests included ophthalmology, poetry and music. He was an insatiable reader and had a remarkably retentive memory for things ophthal- mologic, so that his knowledge of ophthalmic literature was second to none, as many an essayist can testify. Dr. Zentmayer was a good surgeon, and performed a greater variety of operations than anyone I know, particularly on the extra- ocular muscles. He was an excellent teacher and his lecture notes were in great demand. During his active career, he was considered "the oracle" at Wills Eye Hospital, where all sorts of questions were put to him. If he was unable to answer a question at the moment, one could be sure that he would have a very full explanation within a day or so, having consulted his well-stocked library in the meantime. He was a keen clinician and remembered his patients remarkably, and woe betide the resident who forgot his orders or findings of the previous clinic day. His forte, however, was ophthalmoscopy; and curled up on a stool in the dark room of the old WN7ills Hospital, he astounded Necrology 19 students and ophthalmologists alike by his ability to determine the refraction of an eye with his insignificant-looking little reflecting light ophthalmoscope. Dr. Zentmayer served as editor of the Archives of Ophthalnmology from 1950, when it was taken over by the American Medical Associa- tion, up to the time of his death, having previously served as associate editor. He enjoyed the friendship and respect of Dr. Arnold Knapp, who had edited and published this periodical at great expense to himself prior to this transfer. Dr. Zentmayer also served as editor of the Transactions of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia from 1899 to 1913, and was very proud of his portrait by Daniel Garber, presented to that institution by an international group of ophthal- mologists in 1940. He was president of the Medical Alumni Society of the University of Pennsylvania in 1922-3 and was guest of honor at the Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association in 1941. The St. Louis Society for the Blind awarded him the Leslie Dana Medal in 1945 for "Outstanding Achievements in the Prevention of Blindness and the Conservation of Vision"; and in 1948 he was awarded the Lucien Howe Medal by the American Ophthalmological Society "In Recognition of his Distinguished Service to Ophthal- mology." Dr. Zentmayer began his career as Chief of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Out-Patient Department of the Children's Hospital in 1887. He also served at the Glen Mills School, St. Mary's Hospital, St. Agnes Hospital and the Wills Eye Hospital, where he became attending surgeon in 1901. He resigned this position at the age of 65 of his own volition and retired from active practice February 2, 1951-largely, I believe, because of a macular choroiditis. Fortunately, he was able to read with one eye up to the time of his death, and thus continued his interest in ophthalmology. Dr. Zentmayer was very regular in his habits and punctilious in the amenities of his scientific and social life. During his active career, he smoked two cigarettes daily, one when he finished his clinic and one after dinner. He rarely if ever missed a Section meeting at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and I doubt if he missed many meetings of the American Ophthalmological Society. He walked daily and knew all of the walking paths at Hot Springs, Virginia, and his favorite summer resort, Lake Minnewaska, where he would cover as much as 15 miles over mountainous terrain, hopping along like a bird. As a younger man he bievcled and was very proud of his "Century" or 100-mile ride from Philadelphia to Atlantic City and return on a 20 Necrolagy warm summer day, and particularly of achieving this without wilting his high starched collarl Indeed, he belied the oft-heard athletic adage that the "legs go first." I doubt if he enjoyed anything more than the meetings of the American Ophthalmological Society-and one could fill a book with his numerouis and interesting anecdotes of the various members. At the time of his death, he was consulting surgeon to the Wills Eye Hospital, Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology at the Graduate School of the University of Pennsvlvania, Editor of the Archives of Ophthal- mology, and a life member of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness. He lived in Merion Station, Pa. He is survived by a sister Mary.