| Philipp Franz von Walther | |
| Birth Date: | 3 January 1782 |
| Birth Place: | Burrweiler, Holy Roman Empire |
| Death Date: | 29 December 1849 |
| Death Place: | Munich, German Empire |
| Nationality: | German |
| Field: | Ophthalmology |
| Work Institutions: | University of Bamberg, University of Landshut, University of Bonn, University of Munich |
| Education: | University of Landshut (PhD, 1803) |
| Academic Advisors: | Georg Joseph Beer Johann Peter Frank |
| Notable Students: | Johannes Peter Müller[1] |
Philipp Franz von Walther (3 January 1782 - 29 December 1849) was a German surgeon and ophthalmologist.
He was born in Burrweiler. He studied medicine in Vienna under Georg Joseph Beer and Johann Peter Frank, obtaining his medical doctorate in 1803 from the University of Landshut. He subsequently served as a professor at the Universities of Bamberg, Landshut, Bonn (1818–1830), and Munich.[2] Among his better known students were Johannes Peter Müller (1801–1858) at Bonn, and Johann Lukas Schönlein (1793–1864) and Cajetan von Textor (1782–1860) at Landshut.
Walther is best known for his pioneer work in ophthalmology and ophthalmic surgery. In 1826 he described the first tarsorrhaphy for closure of a portion of the eyelids for partial ectropion. In the treatise Ueber die Hornhautflecken, he gave an early account of corneal opacity.
With Karl Ferdinand von Gräfe (1787–1840), he was co-editor of Journal der Chirurgie und Augenheilkunde, an influential journal of surgery and ophthalmology. Walther is credited with performing numerous experiments involving medical galvanism.
He died in Munich.