John Zachariah Laurence

Who was John Zachariah Laurence?

John Zachariah Laurence was an English ophthalmologist who practiced medicine in London. He was the founder of the South London Ophthalmic Hospital in 1857, later to become known as the Royal Eye Clinic.

In 1864 he became founder and editor of the "Ophthalmic Review", the first British journal devoted to ophthalmology. Also, he is credited for promoting usage of the ophthalmoscope in England.

In 1866 he described a syndrome of retinitis pigmentosa, loss of vision progressing to blindness, mental retardation, stunted stature and hypogonadism. This disease would become known as the Laurence-Moon syndrome, named along with his colleague Robert Charles Moon.