|
 The
Most Noble Luigi Count Preziosi was born in Sliema
on the 29th July, 1888 and was the second son of
Alfred. He studied at Flores College and at the
University of Malta from where he graduated B.Sc.
and then Medical Doctor. He proceed to Oxford where
in 1920 he obtained a diploma in ophthalmology and
also pursued further academic studies in Rome.
After obtaining experience in eye surgery at the
ophthalmic clinic at Rome Polyclinic, Preziosi also
obtained the most important UK qualification, the
diploma in ophthalmology from th University of
Oxford. Subsequently he was appointed assistant to
the ophthalmic surgeon, Central Civil Hospital. In
1924 Preziosi was appointed professor o
ophthalmology at the University of Malta and
Ophthalmic surgeon at the Central Civic hospital. He
represented the faculty of medicine in the Council
of the University as a president of Camera Medica on
several occasions.
During World War I, Preziosi was medical office in
the Royal Army Medical Corps and consultant to the
Services. Between the two wars, and indeed for some
years after 1943, Preziosi fought against trachoma,
a virus disease which caused blindness to millions
in underdeveloped counties. Preziosi devised an
operation to save the sight of many unfortunates.
Its first description was published in 1924 and
Preziosi had the opportunity to discuss it in
various international ophthalmologic congresses.
The most important textbooks on ophthalmic surgery
still describe it as 'Preziosi's Operation'. This
operation and its modifications were proposed for
discussion at the international congress of
ophthalmology in Amsterdam in 1929 and in London
1950 and New York in 1954. In 1957 he read a paper
about this operation to the Irish Ophthalmologic the
Society which was published in the Transactions of
the Ophthalmologic Society of the England.
Preziosi was also involved in politics. He was a
member of Mgr. Panzavecchia's Unione Politica
Maltese and of the Nationalist Party, when these
two merged. He represented the graduates in the
Senate in 1927 and 1932 legislatures and was
president of the Senate in 1932.
When the national Assembly was convened at the end
of World War II as a prelude to th granted of Self
Government in 1947. Preziosi was elected president.
He retired from politics in 1949 and for the rest of
his life devoted himself to ophthalmology, giving
help to whoever sought it up till a few days before
his death.
After his death of his father, Preziosi inherited
the nobility title, becoming the 8th Count Preziosi.
He was elected member of the Committee of Privileges
of the Maltese nobility and served as president of
that body. In 1948 he was created knight bachelor
with the title of 'Sir' and in 1956 knight of
magistral grace of the Sovereign Military Order of
Malta.
On 29th April 1920 Preziosi married the Noble
Ludgarda Chapelle dei Baroni di San Giovanni and
they had three children Franz, Victor Amadeus, and
Lucia. His dedication and humanity were well
attested by the crowds who flocked to his funeral to
pay their last respects.
Sir Luigi Preiosi passed away on the 30th July, 1965
and a monument in 1970 was erected to his memory in
the Mall Gardens in Floriana. |
