PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

PERSPECTIVE

Yes, Dr. Jose Rizal was a real ophthalmologist

Excerpts from the lecture “Jose Rizal: Healer as Hero” delivered at the Sentro
Oftalmologico Jose Rizal, University of the Philippines–Philippine General
Hospital, on June 21, 2011, as part of the 150th birth anniversary of
Dr. Jose Rizal

By any standard, our national hero, Jose Rizal, marily by love. He wrote what he wrote because of a
is one of the most interesting, brilliant, enigmatic, deep love for country. He became an ophthalmologist
charismatic, and controversial figures in history. There because of a deep love for his mother. His suffering
seems to be always something new to discover about Motherland was under an abusive and oppressive for-
him and debates around him prevail to this day. eign power and through his written work he hoped to
It is no wonder, therefore, that this year 2011, the open the eyes of both his countrymen and the Spanish
150th anniversary of his birth, almost every columnist, authorities. He longed to give his mother sight just as
every commentator, every radio and television station, he longed to bring vision to his “blind” countrymen.
has had something to say about some special “little He wanted to heal them both.
known” facts about our national hero. During the past In this quest, he also achieved one of the major
year, there had been numerous reports in all forms driving forces in his life. In 1858, three years before
of media about Rizal as sportsman and excellent Rizal was born, Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong
student, as someone who had prophetic dreams, as Kong, visited Rizal’s Uncle Alberto in Binan. Sir John
a world traveler, a romantic, an artist, a political activ- imparted a lot of knowledge to Alberto Alonzo, and
ist, as polyglot who spoke 22 languages and dialects, most significant among them was information about
and of course, as a writer and martyr. Even topics as a book by the Spaniard Morga, written in 1609, that
mundane as where he tied his horse when he visited documented the situation in the Philippines when the
his childhood sweetheart have generated interest. Spaniards first arrived in the 1500s. These stories were
The list goes on and on. passed on to Rizal and were engraved in his heart.
Amidst all this hoopla, one aspect of Rizal barely This knowledge in the face of the injustice he and his
explored or discussed in much detail, is that of him family experienced under the Spaniards inspired him
as an ophthalmologist. Questions like “was Rizal really to look for and copy this book one day if only to prove
an ophthalmologist?” or “did his mother go blind that, contrary to what the Spanish imperialists of his
because he experimented with her eyes?” still get asked time claimed, the Philippines had a rich culture and
too often, even by fellow physicians. This is sad, and advanced civilization before the Spaniards came.1 He
rather unfair to Dr. Jose Rizal. For truth be told, not carried this dream with him throughout adulthood
only was Jose Rizal an ophthalmologist, he was a pretty and fulfilled it more than 20 years later. He wanted
good one. Furthermore, Rizal the ophthalmologist to spread the word to his own countrymen and to for-
and Rizal the hero are inextricably linked. eigners alike, that we had an identity distinct from that
Ophthalmology was not his real passion. But like of our conquerors, an identity we could be proud of,
his political writings for which he is most famous, and an identity we had to rediscover and nurture, because
which sparked the first revolution for freedom in Asia that would be our ticket to real freedom.
and led him to a destiny he did not plan for himself, His quest to become an ophthalmologist afforded
his becoming an ophthalmologist was also driven pri- him the opportunity to acquire the tools to do just
this. His quest to become an ophthalmologist also
provided him with the stage to be the best poster boy
Correspondence to
Ma. Dominga B. Padilla, MD, FPAO the Philippines and the Filipinos could have.
Room 209, Medical Arts Building It is with this premise in mind that I discuss Rizal the
St. Luke’s Medical Center
Global City, Taguig Metro Manila ophthalmologist. I will delve into the teachers from
Telephone : +63-2-6595389, +63-2-7897700 local 7209
Fax : +63-2-8174804
whom he learned his ophthalmology—the surgical
E-mail : [email protected] techniques he would have used as this would be the

Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology 83

 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

only way to understand the kind of ophthalmology he time he still used the old name Mercado and dropped
must have practiced. This vital aspect of his persona Rizal altogether.2
was inseparable from the totality of Jose Rizal, the very Why was Rizal known as Jose Rizal and not Jose
“human” being who at times could be vain, unrealis- Mercado? This is because by the time the young Jose
tic, self-absorbed, and stingy; but who was also funny, was to enroll in the Ateneo Municipal de Manila,
superbly intelligent, tremendously talented, feisty, his older brother Paciano had already gained some
romantic, witty; a great man, blessed with an almost notoriety with the authorities, having been identified
irresistible charm, childlike honesty, insatiable curios- with the three martyred priests, Gomez, Burgos and
ity; and above all, an exceptional devotion to country. Zamora, particularly with Padre Jose Gomez, who was
his teacher and mentor.
Roots and Early Education These three Filipino priests simply wanted Filipinos
Jose Prota Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was to be able to serve as parish priests. This idea was “un-
born on June 19, 1861, to Francisco Engracio Rizal heard of,” unacceptable, and was “dangerous thinking”
Mercado y Alejandra II (Francisco Mercado) and as far as the Spanish priests were concerned. So they
Teodora Morales Alonso Realonda y Quintos (Teo- linked the three priests to the Cavite Mutiny, charged
dora Alonzo). They were rich farmers who had been them with subversion, and publicly executed them in
granted lease on a hacienda and accompanying rice 1872 together with 10 other martyrs in what is now
farm by the Dominicans. Jose was the seventh of 11 called Trece Martires, Cavite. The influence of Padre
children. He had only one brother, Paciano, much Burgos in the face of the oppression of the colonizers,
older than him, more like a second father than a capped by his execution, significantly shaped the lives
brother, and one who would play a vital role in his life. of Paciano and Jose. Indeed, at very early ages, both
Paciano, together with the rest of Jose’s family, lifted Paciano and Jose already started advancing “danger-
and supported Jose throughout his life and ordeals. ous” ideas about freedom and individual rights.4
In many ways, he was the wind beneath Jose’s wings. Jose’s family had hoped that by changing his
Jose, or Pepe as he was fondly called, was a sixth- surname he would be able to move around freely as
generation patrilineal descendant of Domingo Lam- he would be dissociated from his older brother. How
co, a Chinese immigrant entrepreneur who sailed ironic that the name “Rizal” would later gain much
to the Philippines from Jinjiang, Quanzhou in the more notoriety with the Spanish authorities than the
mid-seventeenth century. To escape the anti-Chinese name Mercado could ever achieve, and that Jose’s
sentiments of the Spanish authorities, Domingo family would be made to suffer because of him. Thus,
changed his name to “Mercado,” indicating their it would seem that this “notoriety” or “fame,” depend-
Chinese merchant roots.2 ing on where one stood, was a destiny Jose could not
From his mother, Rizal received traces of Spanish escape from. It is to his family’s credit, however, that
and Japanese blood. Teodora’s father was a Spanish later on in life, as their persecution in the hands of
Mestizo named Lorenzo Alberto Alonso from Binan the Spaniards escalated, they all decided to use the
Laguna. Her mother was Brigida de Quintos from surname Rizal; a surname they carried with pride
Pangasinan. The historian Austin Craig mentioned throughout their struggles and Jose’s eventual martyr-
Lakandula, the Rajah of Tondo at the time of the dom for their country.4
Spanish invasion, as an ancestor as well.3 His mother was his first teacher, and at a very early
In 1849, because of an order by Governor General age his parents noted a very sharp mind in Pepe. He
Francisco Claveria for all Filipinos to change their excelled in almost everything he did. His natural
surnames based on a list of surnames provided by the intelligence was further bolstered by his family’s hav-
Spanish government, the Mercados had to change ing one of the biggest, if not the biggest, and most
their surname. Jose’s father, Francisco, adopted the impressive libraries in the Philippines then.
surname Rizal, (originally “Ricial,” the green of young It was said that Rizal’s home library had no less than
growth or green fields). But this change of name 1,000 volumes,6 impressive even by today’s standards.
caused confusion in business since most of his busi- Jose truly loved his books, and this love of books was
nesses were begun under his old name. So he decided evident in the letters he wrote to his brother while in
to use both surnames and settled on the surname Europe. In 1885, while desperate for money as a stu-
“Rizal Mercado” as a compromise. But most of the dent, he wrote to his brother Paciano that he would

84 Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology
 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

easily part with his ring to raise funds, but hoped

that Paciano would be able to send him money soon
enough so that he would not have to part with his
books that he had scrimped and saved for.6
After being tutored by Justiniano Aquino Cruz in
Binan, Laguna, he was sent to the Ateneo Municipal de
Manila for secondary education where he was among
the nine students who got the grade of “sobresaliente”
or outstanding upon graduation.
He continued his education at the Ateneo Munici-
pal de Manila to obtain degrees as a land surveyor and Figure 1. Illustrados in Madrid. Rizal is in the second row, fifth from right.
assessor. At the same time, he enrolled at the University “The Life and Writings of Jose Rizal” http://joserizal.info/Biography/man_martyr/chapter04.htm

of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters where he

studied philosophy and letters. He did not originally with the intellectuals led by students and professors
enroll in medicine. Caring for the land was his major fighting for more intellectual freedom, and with the
interest, and he would prove this during his exile in Catholic church slowly losing its hold on power in the
Dapitan where he turned his prison into a paradise. state.
It was only upon learning that his mother was This was the Spain that Rizal saw during his travels.
going blind due to cataracts that he decided to It was the other Spain struggling to also be free of its
study medicine with the intention of specializing in old self. The liberals in Madrid were especially en-
ophthalmology at the UST Faculty of Medicine and raged with the way Spain was treating the Philippines,
Surgery. From 1879 to 1882, he studied medicine, and wanted reforms. It was in Madrid, surrounded by
agriculture, surveying, and philosophy and letters, warm and reform-minded people, both Spaniards and
all at UST where he eventually received his Bachelor Filipinos, that he also joined the Masons (Figure 1).1
of Arts Degree. However, he did not complete the
medicine program because of what he claimed was Medicine and Ophthalmology Training in Europe
the discrimination by the Spanish Dominican friars Rizal studied at the Universidad Central de Madrid
against Filipino students. And so in 1882, unknown where he earned his Licentiate in Medicine in 1884. A
to his parents, he secretly left the country with the licentiate is similar to what we now call a bachelor’s
help of his brother Paciano to complete his medical degree. During those times, further medical educa-
studies in Madrid.5 tion was not necessary to call oneself a physician or
Although the completion of his medical education practice medicine. However, one could go on to
with the intention of becoming an ophthalmologist obtain a doctoral degree after passing examinations
was his reason for going to Europe, Jose Rizal also had and writing and orally presenting an approved thesis.
a “secret mission” that only he and his brother Paciano Rizal began to write his thesis for his doctorate in
knew about. He was to go to Spain and travel around medicine. But because he lacked funds and was rather
Europe to join other forces with other reformists, and in a rush to become an ophthalmologist as he was
learn as much as he could so that he could work for receiving letters from home about his mother’s failing
the reforms he and his brother so longed for in the eyesight, Rizal did not stay long enough in Madrid to
Philippines. That was the deal he had with Paciano.7 be able to orally present the thesis. Without complet-
By the time Rizal left for Spain for further studies, ing the requirements for a doctorate, he left for Paris
Spain had already lost some of her colonies in the to study ophthalmology.1, 5
Americas because of armed revolts. Simon Bolivar led In the 19th century, ophthalmology was already a
the independence movements of the Latin American separate, flourishing, and dynamic specialty in Europe
colonies that lasted from 1806 to 1825 and which led although there were no formal residency training pro-
to the liberation of Panama, Venezuela, Columbia, grams yet. One became an ophthalmologist through
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. the tutelage and supervision of well-known professors.
Internally, Spain was also in political turmoil, with If you were good and your mentor liked you, then you
the liberals fighting the conservatives, with civil wars, were allowed to personally assist them in the clinics
with governments and monarchs fighting coups d’etat, and at surgery, and actually performed some of the

Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 85
 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

procedures. Training was very personalized. at the entrance of the optic nerve. He had no direct
Rizal went to Paris to train under the famous occu- view, and the pupil disturbance he described suggested
loplastic surgeon, Dr. Louis de Wecker (also known as interference with the posterior ciliary nerves.”7
Louis von Wecker) where he served as assistant at de He was also reputed and reported to have a very
Wecker’s clinic for 4 months (from November 1885 efficient method of cataract surgery.
to February 1886). He then proceeded to Heidelberg In the January to June 1886 edition of the Cincinnati
where he trained under Dr. Otto Becker. He com- Lancet Clinic, correspondence from Paris described
pleted his doctoral thesis in Germany and just mailed de Wecker’s cataract-surgery technique as a form of
it to Madrid, hoping that they would accept it in that extracapsular cataract surgery using an ab-interno
manner. To orally present it would mean an extra trip limbal incision similar to the Graefe technique using
to Madrid, which he could not afford at the time. But a Graefe knife that is still being manufactured today.
Madrid did not make an exception for him and he He had his own style of capsulotomy using his forceps,
never completed his doctorate. Perhaps, this is the
basis for the mistaken notion that Jose Rizal was not
really a doctor.
Dr. Louis de Wecker (1832–1906) was one of the
foremost ophthalmologists of the 19th century (Figures
2-3). Although he did not hold any academic position,
he was a prolific author and an active teacher. He was
innovative and daring, and somewhat controversial.
It was from him that Rizal learned various types of
surgery, including the cataract-surgery technique he
used to treat his mother.
Dr. de Wecker was a pioneer of several ophthalmo-
logic procedures. He introduced ophthalmoscopy in
France and advanced ocular surgery.5 He also did a
lot of his procedures under topical anesthesia using
cocaine, doing away almost totally with inhalational
anesthesia for ophthalmologic procedures; rather
revolutionary for the time.
A review of medical journals during the late
1800s will show numerous third-person accounts of Figure 2. Dr. Louis de Wecker.
ophthalmologists raving about de Wecker’s surgical
techniques.
He modified strabismus surgery and used sutures
for the first time. He was the first to advocate sclero-
tomy for the treatment of glaucoma, and was the first
to use the term “filtration.”5
He also pioneered a technique in optic-nerve
decompression that drew a lot of reactions in the oph-
thalmologic community because it was done without
any direct visualization:
“De Wecker (I872) approached the optic-nerve
sheath by a transconjunctival approach between the
lateral and inferior rectus muscles 1 cm. from the
limbus. He went via Tenon’s space and used a spatula
to luxate the globe up and medially. He then used a
specially designed neurotome to feel and then incise
the sheath in an antero-posterior direction and he Figure 3. Dr. de Wecker with assistants.
“Pictorial Album of Rizal, Foremost Filipino Hero, Martyr and Patriot,” Republic of the Philippines Jose Rizal
tried to include the edge of the posterior scleral canal National Centennial Commission; Courtesy of the Private library of Dr. Ma. Dominga B. Padilla

86 Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology
 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

making the opening to the anterior capsule similar

to today, meaning on the anterior surface and not in
the superior portion. It is logical to conclude that this
is the surgical technique Rizal practiced and used for
his mother’s cataracts.8 Future letters regarding his
mother’s surgery would tend to support this.
Other procedures Rizal learned from de Wecker
were iridotomies and iridectomies used for many
indications. Among them were as preparation prior
to cataract surgery for zonular cataract and for large
lenses that were causing some rise in intraocular
pressure (IOP), for angle-closure glaucoma, and for
corneal leukomas. He fashioned the de Wecker iris
scissors not just for iridotomies, but also for doing
Figure 4. Prof. Otto Becker.
capsulotomies for cataracts. www.kancoll.org

The de Wecker iris scissors is still being used today.

Other instruments named after de Wecker include wanted to learn funduscopy and other basic aspects
the de Wecker curette for incision and curettage and of ophthalmology. So he informed Paciano that he
the de Wecker forceps. A study of the history of retinal would move to Germany.
detachment surgery will also show that de Wecker “With respect to the study of the ailment of the eyes, I am
was one of those who introduced the thermocautery doing well: I now know how to perform all the operations;
(1882) as a method of puncturing the sclera to drain I only need to know what is going on inside the eye, which
fluid from the sub-retinal space.9-10 requires much practice. In Germany, I am told that this is
A rather controversial procedure that de Wecker taught well, but one has to be registered and pay a sum of 10$
performed a lot was corneal tattooing. He was primar- a month ... If I see that, in effect, the cost of living is cheap, I
ily an occuloplastic surgeon and many of the patients will have myself registered, and if it is not, I will see to it that
he attended to suffered from unsightly leukomas. two or three months will suffice for me. In six months, I hope
In one of Rizal’s letters to his family, he described to speak German, study a profession, continue my specialty;
his work at de Wecker’s clinic: in five, living among Filipinos, I have learned French.” 6
“From 50 to 100 patients go daily to the clinic of Wecker; So off to Germany he went to study under Dr.
there are days when they perform as many as 10 major op- Otto Becker at the University of Heidelberg (Figure
erations. Many cross-eyes are set right ... In the past days a 4). If Dr. de Wecker was a surgical giant, Dr. Becker
young woman tall, very tall, taller than myself by at least one was a pioneer in ophthalmic pathology who created
palm, very elegant, beautiful, with a bad white eye that could numerous works about the eye. He wrote a text on
not see, went there also. Wecker had to blacken her eye which the anatomy of the normal and diseased lens and col-
was not hard to do, for it only needs time. As it is a luxurious lected more than 1,800 pathologic specimens.
operation, she could not complain of pain and she smiled. It Dr. Otto Becker (1828–1890) was an academic from
is true that the eye is rendered insensitive so the patients get whom Rizal learned the basics of ophthalmological
up and say that they have felt absolutely nothing: there are examination and diagnosis. Rizal wrote:
those who do not notice the operation and they only know it “I practice in the hospital and I examine the patients who
when they begin to see.” 6 come every day: the professor corrects our mistakes in diag-
What Rizal described was a corneal tattooing proce- nosis; I help in curing and although I do not see as many
dure of de Wecker. He was the first ophthalmologist to operations as I do in Paris, here I learn more the practical
use India ink for the procedure.11 side ... [I plan] during the spring of ‘87 to return again to
We could go on and on about de Wecker as a sur- Paris and observe the operations of Dr. de Wecker who, as a
geon. But the long and short of it is that Rizal trained surgeon, seems to me very superior to all the others I have seen
under one of the most progressive and renowned eye until the present. From there I can return to the Philippines
surgeons of his time. But he could not stay in Paris and open a decent eye clinic.” 6
much longer. He felt that he had learned all the surgi- And he did eventually return to the Philippines to
cal procedures he could learn from Dr. de Wecker. He open a decent eye clinic; but not before he wrote Noli

Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 87
 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

Me Tangere. I have attempted to do what nobody had wished to do. I have

Through regular letters from Paciano, Rizal knew replied to the calumnies that for so many centuries have been
about how life was getting more difficult for their fam- heaped upon us and our country … I have unmasked the
ily as the Dominicans started to demand higher and hypocrisy that under the cloak of religion has impoverished
higher rent for the land that their family was leasing; and brutalized us … I have lifted the curtain in order to
and the price of sugar was going down; two factors show what is behind the deceitful and dazzling promises of
which were making it more and more difficult for their our government.” 12
family to make ends meet. While Filipinos in general With funding from a friend, Maximo Viola, Noli
experienced abuse from the Dominican friars, Rizal’s Me Tangere finally saw print. The very first copy of
family was especially singled out. the book was sent to Rizal’s dear friend Ferdinand
This was largely the result of the political speeches Blumentritt who, aside from being a historian and
and writings that Rizal had been spawning out while professor, was the grandson of the Imperial Treasurer
in Europe, which found their way back to the Philip- of Vienna and a staunch defender of the Catholic
pines and became talk of the town. Even before he faith. He had misgivings about the contents of the
published Noli Me Tangere, Rizal was already sending book and was convinced that it would get Rizal into
essays to the Philippines, works that spoke of national- trouble. However, this did not dissuade him from
ism and love of country and which were published in translating the book into German and eventually
a Filipino paper that was eventually closed down due writing the preface to its sequel, El Filibusterismo. In an
to pressure from the friars. While in Europe, he also accompanying note to Noli Me Tangere, Rizal wrote to
often delivered speeches very unflattering to the friars Blumentritt: “I have not wept over our misfortunes,
at gatherings attended by Filipino and European intel- but rather laughed at them. No one would want to
lectuals, who sent copies of his speeches back home. read a book full of tears…”1
But the last straw was yet to come in the form of Noli Other copies were bound and sent to leading intel-
Me Tangere, which he wrote piecemeal, every evening, lectuals around Europe who in turn found a way to
after completing his studies. send the copies to the Philippines. Rizal’s brother,
He achieved this masterpiece while learning Italian Paciano, translated the Noli into Tagalog, and this
and French and completing his course in medicine was how it became known to and read by Andres
and philosophy and letters at the University of Madrid. Bonifacio and other Filipinos who, otherwise, would
And he did all this while often having to make do with not have been able to read his novel. As expected,
only one meal a day because of lack of funds. Rizal’s first novel delighted Filipinos, but scandalized
From the start of his stay in Europe, even while and enraged the powerful friars in the Philippines. It
still in Madrid, lack of money was always a problem. was to this atmosphere that Rizal returned home in
He depended on his father and brother to send him August, 1887.
money, and oftentimes this was late. The persecution
and unfair taxation practices of the Domincans who Home At Last (August 1887 to February 1888)
“owned” the land also added to the money woes.1 Many of Rizal’s friends tried to prevail upon him
There came a time when he reduced his daily not to come home and to, instead, establish practice
expenses for food to thirty-five centavos. On June in Hong Kong or to just remain in Europe until after
24, 1884, the day he won a prize in a competition in they were sure what effect his explosive book would
Greek, he did not eat at all. He used second-hand have. But his longing for his family, country, and
clothes which he bought from a pawnshop. The next sweetheart would not keep him away.
day he wrote in his diary: “I am hungry and I have He never saw his sweetheart, Leonor Rivera, again.
nothing to eat and no money.”6 Her family had moved to Dagupan and his parents
He continued writing Noli Me Tangere throughout admonished him not to go to her anymore because
his ophthalmology training and finished it in Berlin Leonor’s mother vehemently disapproved of him. Rizal,
on February 22, 1887. In Rizal’s own words: the dutiful son, heeded their wish. But his love for her,
“Noli Me Tangere, a phrase taken from the Gospel of and her love for him, continued long after this. He still
St. Luke, means “touch me not.” The book contains things held some secret hope that one day they may still be
that nobody in our country has spoken of until the present. reunited. In the meantime, he could console himself
They are so delicate that they cannot be touched by anyone … with the love of his family and with his chance to finally

88 Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology
 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

put up his “decent clinic” and treat his mother. mother country.”14
He was able to establish a good practice in August A decree was immediately issued banning the book
1887. He immediately operated on the left eye of his from the Philippines, further ordering the confisca-
mother, which was a success, although there were tion of all copies and the deportation of every Filipino
conflicting views on what kind of operation he per- found in possession of the book, confiscation of his
formed. Some accounts claimed that he performed property and its turnover to the person who told on
an iridectomy as a preparation for the subsequent him. But as expected, the decree only made the book
cataract surgery on her left eye in 1892, which was more popular. People would read the book in secret,
eventually done in Hong Kong. Some said he did the bury them in the ground when they knew guards were
cataract surgery in Calamba.6 Whatever it was that he coming, and dig them up again once the coast was
did, it was successful. He did well as an ophthalmolo- clear.
gist, and people from all over flocked to see him. In Persecution after persecution followed, and despite
five months he earned P5,000, a sizeable sum at that the fact that Governor General Emilio Terrero was
time.1 said to be secretly pleased by the novel’s exposure of
If the surgery on the left eye went well, the right the friars—there being competition between the civil
eye, which he would do while in exile in Dapitan, leaders and the Dominicans who often wielded more
was a disaster. From Dapitan in 1894, he wrote to his power than the civil authorities—and despite the fact
family: that he actually encouraged Rizal and his town mates
“I have operated on Mother with much success and she to document the atrocities of the friars in Calamba,
could see with much clearness immediately after. The post- in the end, the Dominicans proved too powerful.
operative course went well for three days, but encouraged by Instead of addressing the problem and correcting the
this, she did not follow my instructions and she got up and injustices, Governor General Terrero advised Rizal to
lay down alone, removed and put back the eye pad, always leave the country immediately for his and his family’s
telling me that nothing was going to happen until her eyes safety. He could not protect Rizal from the wrath of
became so inflamed (she suspected that during the night the Dominican friars.1
she received a blow) ... The operative wound gaped, the iris And so after being home for only six months, Rizal
prolapsed, and now there is violent inflammation. Nothing found himself a wanderer once more. He would never
can quiet her and she reads and goes to bright lights and rubs get to see his beloved hometown again.
her eyes ... Now I can understand why it is prohibited for one
to treat members of his family.” 13 The Wounded Wanderer
She developed an endophthalmitis and the eye was The years 1888 to 1892 saw Jose Rizal transformed
lost. from the idealistic, hopeful, rather naïve dreamer to
Even as a young man, Rizal was already viewed with a more serious, sadder, and realistic reformist. Many
awe by his town mates. His being the only Europe- would even argue that he evolved from a reformist to
trained ophthalmologist in the country, and possibly in a revolutionist.
Southeast Asia in 1887, added to his stature. Filipinos, The escalating persecution against his family and
both in the country and abroad, were also delighted friends in Calamba—a persecution that eventually
with him because of his Noli Me Tangere. All this added resulted in the destruction of their homes, the loss of
to his celebrity status. But this was also the reason he their hacienda, and their exile from Calamba—was a
was eventually forced into exile. constant thorn he had to carry in his heart throughout
The Spanish priests, most specifically the Domini- the years he was away. He was forced to leave home pri-
cans, were naturally upset. A committee was formed marily for his family, as his presence in the Philippines
at the University of Santos Tomas to study the book. was deemed too dangerous for him and for them. He
After the thorough review, the rector of Santo Tomas was also persuaded to leave because his supportive
reported to the Archbishop that: “….the Noli Me family and friends believed that he could do more for
Tangere of J. Rizal, printed in Berlin, if circulated the country in Europe where he was free.
in the Philippines, would cause the gravest dangers His departure did not stop the persecution; but at
to faith and morals, would lessen or kill the love of least he had a few more years to write and work in the
these natives for Spain, and stir up the passions of the Propaganda Movement in Spain and to visit London
inhabitants of the country, and cause sad days for the to fulfill a childhood dream.

Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 89
 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

Almost as soon as he reached London on May 24, first dawn ... Love alone realizes wonderful achievements,
1888, Rizal proceeded to study and write in the Brit- virtue alone can save! Pure and spotless must the victim
ish Museum Library where he found one of the few be ...” 4
remaining volumes of De Morga’s Succesos de Filipinas Few people, even his closest friends, realized then that
(Events in the Philippines), which had been published the author was starting to come to terms with his destiny.
in 1609, thereby fulfilling something he had been pas- And while many of his friends felt the ending was hang-
sionate about since childhood. This was the book his ing, even advising that Rizal would have to write another
uncle told him about when he lived with him in Binan. book to show the readers exactly what they must do to
These volumes were to be translated into English and gain liberty, Rizal was slowly planning his return to the
published in the 20th century by Blair and Robertson Philippines, where he could show the world in action, and
as The History of the Filipino People. not simply in words, what kind of sacrifice was necessary
This book was very important to Rizal, the patriot and for liberty.
the anthropologist, as it was concrete evidence that when By 1891 Rizal was desperate to go home. The situation
the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, we were not was getting worse and worse for his family and those who
“living in caves and eating raw meat” as was the popular supported him; and he wanted so much to be there with
belief among Spaniards and Filipinos at the time, but them. He also pretty much had it with the petty politics of
rather we had a distinct and sophisticated civilization. We the Propaganda Movement as well as with the debauchery
had thriving agricultural practices and industries such as of the Filipinos in Spain. Not to think Rizal was beyond
mining, fishing, metalwork, and silk weaving—and we having fun. He drank in moderation, bought lottery tickets,
traded actively with various countries around Asia. The and enjoyed going to balls, especially masquerade balls
book proved that in many ways the Spaniards had done the (Figure 5). But he never lost sight of the main purpose for
Filipinos a lot of harm.1 which he was in Europe. What made matters worse was
Rizal copied the entire book word for word, and had that he found out that some Filipinos were using his name
it published at his own expense. He ardently believed to raise funds from back home and from around Europe
that if Filipinos became aware of this truth, it would help purportedly for the movement, only to use the money to
them overcome their inferiority complex that was keeping support their hedonistic lifestyles.1
them enslaved to a foreign power. In many ways, Rizal Because of all these, he had lost all faith in the capacity
pushed himself to achieve what he achieved to prove to the of the Filipinos in Spain to fight for the Philippine cause.
Filipinos and to the world that we were much better than
we were made out to be by our colonizers. It is sad that up
to this day, the Filipino people have not been totally freed
from the mindset of conquered slaves.
It was also during this time of exile that Rizal wrote the
sequel to Noli. But this sequel was a much darker book.
It would have none of the humor or parody of Noli Me
Tangere. The book would be called El Filibusterismo, and
would eventually be published in Ghent in 1891. Dedicated
to the three martyred priests, Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora,
it would explore violence and upheaval as a solution to
the country’s ills. And although at the end, one of its main
characters, Father Florentino, would shoot down violence
as the best means to achieve liberty, he would speak of the
need for sacrifice even to the point of death: “I do not wish
to say that our liberty is to be earned by the edge of the
sword. The sword enters very little into our modern des-
tiny. But we must conquer by merit, by lifting up goodness
and greatness even to the point of dying for it; and when
a country arrives at this exalted stage, God will provide Figure 5. Rizal in costume wearing a turban, with friends in the studio of
Juan Luna. He enjoyed masquerade balls. With him were Nellie Bousted
the weapon, the idols will be shattered, the tyrants will fall (standing third from left) and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo (second from right).
like a pack of cards, and liberty will shine forth like the “Felix Resurrection Hidalgo;” courtesy of the Private Library of Atty. Sabino B. Padilla

90 Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology
 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF

Vol . 36 • No. 2 Ophthalmology July – December 2011

He wrote: a paradise where he spent some of the happiest days of his

“If our countrymen repose their faith only in us who are life. While in Dapitan, he not only practiced ophthalmol-
here in Europe, they make a great mistake. I do not wish ogy but also general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics
anybody to be deceived ... This general credulity that we and gynecology, and even dentistry. He opened and ran a
may be able to aid from these distant lands seems to me to school for boys, beautified and lit up the city, grew mag-
be a great error. The medicine must be applied close to nificent fruit orchards, collected various species of plants
the wound.” 6 and animals, some of which would later be named after
And so when he had enough money, he set out for Hong him by his scientist friends in Europe, and met his “dulce
Kong. He could not go straight to the Philippines as his extranjera,” Josephine Bracken. It was ophthalmology that
family begged him not to, since they were sure he would brought her into his life, as she traveled to Dapitan to bring
be arrested when he got home. her stepfather for treatment. That Filipinos and foreigners
It was during his stay in Hong Kong in 1891 that he alike would travel to Dapitan to consult with Rizal for their
again engaged in a real practice as an “oculist,” as Rizal eye problems was testament to his prowess and reputation
referred to himself. It is said that while in Hong Kong he as an ophthalmologist.
so impressed a prominent Portuguese physician by the Rizal met his martyrdom on a crisp, cool morning on
name of Dr. Lorenzo Marquez with his eye surgical skills December 30, 1896, in what must be one of the worst mis-
that Dr. Marquez eventually referred all his eye patients calculations in history. His execution was meant to stop
to Rizal. Hence, he had a thriving practice in Hong Kong. the pockets of revolts around the country from escalating
Dr. Marquez also became a close friend. It was to him that into a full -blown revolution. Instead, it proved to be the
Rizal, before returning to the Philippines in 1892, would spark that would ignite it. Amidst the many mysteries and
entrust two letters with instructions that they be opened debates that still surround the life and death of Rizal, this
upon his death. The first letter was addressed to his family, truth is undeniable. So is the fact that although he never
the other to “the Filipinos.” Both had similar contents and wrote any scientific papers in ophthalmology, Dr. Jose
showed clearly that Rizal was aware of the dangers he was Rizal was indeed a skilled ophthalmologist who in death,
facing by going home. as in life, helped his people see the light.
A passage from his letter to “The Filipinos” is inscribed
on the Rizal Monument and reads:
“I desire, furthermore, to let those who deny our pa-
triotism, see that we know how to die for our duty and for
our convictions. What matters death if one dies for what he
loves, for his motherland, and the beings he adores?” 6 References
Life in Hong Kong was actually good. So successful 1. The Life and Writings of Jose Rizal. http://www.joserizal.info/index.html. Ac-
cessed June 12, 2011.
was his practice that he was able to bring most of his fam- 2. Jose Rizal. (2009, January 15). New World Encyclopedia. http://www.new-
ily members to live with him there. In fact he could have worldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jose_Rizal?oldid=903007. Accessed June 9,
2011.
remained in Hong Kong were it not for the ache for his 3. Craig A. Lineage, Life, and Labors of Jose Rizal, Philippine Patriot, Philippine
country that continued to torment his soul. And so against Education Company, 1913.
4. Rafael VL. On Rizal’s El Filibusterismo. UCLA Center for Southeast Asian
the frantic protests of friends and family, Rizal, accom- Studies. Accessed June 10, 2011.
5. Ravin TB. Jose Rizal, Philippine National Hero and Ophthalmologist. Arch
panied by his sister, returned to Manila on June 26, 1892. Ophthalmol 2001; 119: 280-284.
He was arrested less than two weeks later for charges that 6. Rizal J. 100 Letters of Jose Rizal to his Parents, Brothers, Sisters, Relatives.
Manila: Philippine National Historical Society. 1959.
had to do with his “anti-Friar sentiments,” expressed in 7. Bilson FA, Hudson RL. Surgical treatment of chronic papilloedema in children.
his writings, for extolling Father’s Gomez, Burgos, and Br J Ophthalmol 1975: 59: 92-95.
8. Paris Correspondent. Cincinnati Lancet-Clinic. 1896; 16: 610-611.
Zamora as martyrs instead of traitors, and for his efforts 9. Hirschberg J. The History of Ophthalmology. Blodi FC, trans. Bonn, Germany:
that, according to the authorities, “were meant to tear from JP Wayenborg, 1992.
10. Kreissig I. Primary Retinal Detachment: Options for Repair. New York:
the loyal Filipino breasts the treasure of our holy Catholic Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2005.
faith.” 11. Roy JN. Tattooing of the Cornea. Can Med Assoc J 1938; 39: 436-438.
12. Alzona, G. Jose Rizal: A Biographical Sketch. International Congress on
Rizal: 4-8 Dec. 1961; Data Papers. Edition 2. National Historical Institute,
The Final Years 1979.
13. de Ocampo G, Fernando A, Sevilla C, Tamesis J. Dr. Jose Rizal:
On July 8, 1892, Rizal was placed on a boat and exiled Ophthalmologist. The Tenth Annual Rizal Lectures. National Historical
to Dapitan to serve his sentence; and in typical Rizal fash- Institute, 1979.
14. Retana WE. Vida y Escritos del Dr. Jose Rizal, Madrid: Liberia General de
ion, he turned what should have been a prison island into Victorino Suarez, 1907.

Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology Philipp J Ophthalmol Vol. 36 No. 2 July – December 2011 91