JOHN V. V. NICHOLLS, MD BYJ. S. Crawford, MD
AN INSPIRING TEACHER, A CLINICAL RESEARCHER, AND
a friend of ophthalmology, John V. V. Nicholls died on June 4, 1977 at the age of 68. Doctor Nicholls received his initial education in Halifax. His early interest in the classics brought him prizes in these subjects in grade 11 and 12. His university training started at Dalhousie University in Halifax where he attended the Arts Faculty in 1926 and 1927. He then transferred to McGill University in Montreal obtaining his BA in 1930 and his MD in 1934. He carried out research in physiology at the Marine Biological Station, St. Andres, N.B. and he
is
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continued these studies at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Plymouth, England. His research and other studies obtained for him a MSc in 1935. In 1933 he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and in 1934 he was awarded the Wood Gold Medal for the highest marks in clinical subjects in the final year of medicine. His ophthalmology training was obtained at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and following this he obtained a Travers Allan Travelling Fellowship and during the year 1937-38 studied clinical ophthalmology at the Moorfields Hospital, London and later went to India where he worked at Sir C.J. Hospital, Bombay, under Sir Jamshedje Duggan; at the Ophthalmic Hospital, Calcutta, under Colonel Kerwin; the C.M.A. Hospital, Hiranpur, Bihar, under Dr W. Edmonds; and the Madviwalla Free Eye Hospital, Kirachi, under Sir Henry Holland. John Nicholls entered private eye practice in Montreal in 1935 when he was also appointed to the teaching staff of McGill University. In 1941 he went on active duty with the Royal Canadian Air Force where he became head of ophthalmology and after the war became a consultant in ophthalmology. He re-entered private practice on September 15, 1945. He was an excellent teacher and very highly regarded by his students. He became a professor of ophthalmology at McGill University and remained there until 1970 when he moved to London, Ontario. In February 1974 he was named chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Western Ontario. John Nicholls was a member of the Canadian Physiological Society (Charter Member); Montreal Medico-Chirurgical Society; Canadian Medical Association; Montreal Ophthalmological Society (President 1948-50); Canadian Ophthalmological Society (President 1957-58) (He was a very active member of many committees of this Society); Association of the Ophthalmologists of the Province of Quebec; American Ophthalmological Society. His candidates thesis was The Relationship of Heterophoria to Depth Perception in Aviation.
He took an unusually keen interest in aviation and the selection of air crew, and travelled across Canada overseeing the eye work with the R.C.A.F. John was a very popular scientific guest speaker and made many trips as "visiting professor". He recognized early the concurrence of macular oedema with cataract extraction and was particularly interested in dyslexia. He gave many lectures on
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learning disabilities in the young. He was the author of 95 published articles on ophthalmology. Doctor Nicholls is survived by his wife Adeline; daughter Libby; sons, John and Peter; and four grandchildren. He was dedicated to the advancement of ophthalmology and demonstrated this by his excellent teaching of the medical students and residents. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and his patients. The American Ophthalmological Society extends its sincere sympathy to his family.
AN INSPIRING TEACHER, A CLINICAL RESEARCHER, AND
a friend of ophthalmology, John V. V. Nicholls died on June 4, 1977 at the age of 68. Doctor Nicholls received his initial education in Halifax. His early interest in the classics brought him prizes in these subjects in grade 11 and 12. His university training started at Dalhousie University in Halifax where he attended the Arts Faculty in 1926 and 1927. He then transferred to McGill University in Montreal obtaining his BA in 1930 and his MD in 1934. He carried out research in physiology at the Marine Biological Station, St. Andres, N.B. and he
is
Necrology
continued these studies at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Plymouth, England. His research and other studies obtained for him a MSc in 1935. In 1933 he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and in 1934 he was awarded the Wood Gold Medal for the highest marks in clinical subjects in the final year of medicine. His ophthalmology training was obtained at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and following this he obtained a Travers Allan Travelling Fellowship and during the year 1937-38 studied clinical ophthalmology at the Moorfields Hospital, London and later went to India where he worked at Sir C.J. Hospital, Bombay, under Sir Jamshedje Duggan; at the Ophthalmic Hospital, Calcutta, under Colonel Kerwin; the C.M.A. Hospital, Hiranpur, Bihar, under Dr W. Edmonds; and the Madviwalla Free Eye Hospital, Kirachi, under Sir Henry Holland. John Nicholls entered private eye practice in Montreal in 1935 when he was also appointed to the teaching staff of McGill University. In 1941 he went on active duty with the Royal Canadian Air Force where he became head of ophthalmology and after the war became a consultant in ophthalmology. He re-entered private practice on September 15, 1945. He was an excellent teacher and very highly regarded by his students. He became a professor of ophthalmology at McGill University and remained there until 1970 when he moved to London, Ontario. In February 1974 he was named chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Western Ontario. John Nicholls was a member of the Canadian Physiological Society (Charter Member); Montreal Medico-Chirurgical Society; Canadian Medical Association; Montreal Ophthalmological Society (President 1948-50); Canadian Ophthalmological Society (President 1957-58) (He was a very active member of many committees of this Society); Association of the Ophthalmologists of the Province of Quebec; American Ophthalmological Society. His candidates thesis was The Relationship of Heterophoria to Depth Perception in Aviation.
He took an unusually keen interest in aviation and the selection of air crew, and travelled across Canada overseeing the eye work with the R.C.A.F. John was a very popular scientific guest speaker and made many trips as "visiting professor". He recognized early the concurrence of macular oedema with cataract extraction and was particularly interested in dyslexia. He gave many lectures on
Necrology
19
learning disabilities in the young. He was the author of 95 published articles on ophthalmology. Doctor Nicholls is survived by his wife Adeline; daughter Libby; sons, John and Peter; and four grandchildren. He was dedicated to the advancement of ophthalmology and demonstrated this by his excellent teaching of the medical students and residents. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and his patients. The American Ophthalmological Society extends its sincere sympathy to his family.
