Javal, Emil

He studied at the Lyceum of Condorcet with Sadi Carnot and Sully-Prudom . He entered the Mining Institute, but then changed his mind and began to study ophthalmology , hoping to help his younger sister, who suffered from severe squint (and he succeeded).

Javal invented a method for the diagnosis of astigmatism and soon acquired the name of one of the best ophthalmologists in France . Peru Javal owns a number of medical books, including on hygiene. His "Mémoires d'ophthalmometrie" has been translated into four languages. In 1885 he was elected a member of the Medical Academy . Toward the end of his life, Javal himself began to go blind due to glaucoma and wrote a book “Among the Blind” ( French Entre aveugles ) with practical advice to the blind and their close ones; at the suggestion of Javal, a device was constructed that facilitates blind writing (by moving a sheet of paper when the pen reaches the end of the line), and a tandem bicycle , which, when controlling a sighted person, allows the blind to train leg muscles.

In 1885 - 1899 Javal was a member of the French parliament . Over the years, he led a regular column in the Tan newspaper ( French Le Temps ). Javal's area of ​​interest included Esperanto , which he diligently promoted, as well as issues of graphology and handwriting ; at the second trial in the Dreyfus case, Javal was invited to conduct a handwriting examination on the initiative of his friend Emil Zola .