J Med Biogr
· 2023 May · PMID 35484813
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In 1813, Abigail "Nabby" Adams, the daughter of the second president of the United States, John Adams (1797-1801), passed away from metastatic breast cancer. Her ordeal began in 1810, at age 44, when she discovered a lum...In 1813, Abigail "Nabby" Adams, the daughter of the second president of the United States, John Adams (1797-1801), passed away from metastatic breast cancer. Her ordeal began in 1810, at age 44, when she discovered a lump in her right breast She consulted with Dr Benjamin Rush, one of the most prominent physicians of the time and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, which resulted in a recommendation for an immediate mastectomy. The surgery was performed at her parent's home in Quincy, Massachusetts, by Dr John Warren. The crude and painful nature of the surgical procedure was highly traumatic to Ms. Adams and her family. After a few months, she returned to her home in rural New York. Within a few months she began feeling generalized pain. When it was evident that her symptoms were the result of disseminated breast cancer, she returned to her parents' house, where she died on August 15, a mere 22 months after her surgery. Ms. Adams' suffering through the stark treatment was the result of a unique historical period, when the medical community had just recently dismissed Galen's paradigms, but still lacked a basic knowledge of the disease's nature or the ability to administer painless, safe surgical treatment.
J Med Biogr
· 2023 May · PMID 35484810
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Vittorio Maragliano was born in Genoa in 1878. Fascinated since childhood by all things electric, he succeeded in installing the first radiological apparatus in 1896, only one year after the discovery of "Röntgen rays",...Vittorio Maragliano was born in Genoa in 1878. Fascinated since childhood by all things electric, he succeeded in installing the first radiological apparatus in 1896, only one year after the discovery of "Röntgen rays", and immediately began to make his first radioscopy observations. Having graduated from the University of Genoa in 1901 with a thesis on high-frequency currents, he continued assiduously to frequent the Department of Electrotherapy of the Medical Clinic, where he immediately became an assistant. A teacher of special medical pathology and physical therapy in 1910, Maragliano became tenured professor of electrotherapy and radiology in 1913, occupying one of the first three chairs in the history of Italian radiology, and later directed the Institute of Radiology of the Royal University of Genoa. In the same year, he co-founded, together with Aristide Busi, the Italian Society of Medical Radiology, one of Europe's first scientific societies of radiology.As a pioneer of radiology, Maragliano suffered serious injuries due to radiodermatitis from 1901 onwards, which required amputations and repeated skin transplants. His tireless scientific activity and his great success in the international scientific sphere, together with his copious publications, make Vittorio Maragliano one of the greatest pioneers of 19th-century radiology and a source of pride for the Genoese and Ligurian School of Medicine.
J Med Biogr
· 2023 May · PMID 35450472
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Victor Goldman specialised in dental anaesthesia from an early age. He published his research all over the world and demonstrated how safety could be improved and how important monitoring of the anaesthetised patient sho...Victor Goldman specialised in dental anaesthesia from an early age. He published his research all over the world and demonstrated how safety could be improved and how important monitoring of the anaesthetised patient should be. He made films, wrote books, created courses, and invented a myriad of apparatus to improve the speciality and to show trainees how dental anaesthesia should be performed. He was outspoken in his views and although well respected by his peers he did not receive many tangible accolades until the twilight of his career. His passing was hardly recorded, and his name is largely forgotten. He deserves wider recognition for his broad depth of contribution to his speciality.
J Med Biogr
· 2023 May · PMID 35440205
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Richard Muir (1862-1931) began his career as a 'lab boy' in the Pathology Department of the University of Edinburgh in 1876 at the age of 13. This was a newly created category of worker that eventually became today's bio...Richard Muir (1862-1931) began his career as a 'lab boy' in the Pathology Department of the University of Edinburgh in 1876 at the age of 13. This was a newly created category of worker that eventually became today's biomedical scientist Muir rapidly gained expertise in pathological and bacteriological techniques including staining and microscopy. Exceptionally, for someone non-medical and non-university-educated individual, he was elected a member of the Pathological Society of Great Britain and appointed Demonstrator in Pathology in the University of Edinburgh Pathology Department. He authored papers on staining techniques for bacteria and on the pathology of syphilis of the ear and became a recognised diagnostic histopathologist, despite having no medical qualifications. He especially excelled as an artist, depicting the microscopic world of pathology and microbiology and produced diagrams for hundreds of publications including his own book and also large wall hangings of the microscopic world for teaching purposes. This paper describes the unique contribution of Richard Muir to pathology in Edinburgh and beyond in the early 20 century.
J Med Biogr
· 2023 May · PMID 35379033
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Trevor Philip Mann (1916-1996) was the first consultant paediatrician at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital (RACH) in Brighton, since its foundation in 1881. Here, he was responsible for significant service developm...Trevor Philip Mann (1916-1996) was the first consultant paediatrician at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital (RACH) in Brighton, since its foundation in 1881. Here, he was responsible for significant service developments, including establishing a department of paediatric surgery and the first neonatal unit in England outside of London. Mann grew up in South London, and aged 14 had a lengthy admission to hospital with tuberculosis. He studied medicine at St Mary's Hospital, London. During World War II he was a Royal Navy Surgeon-Lieutenant, aboard the Atlantic destroyer, HMS Georgetown, and with the Russian convoys, before completing paediatric training in London. Here, he was involved in treating paediatric tuberculous meningitis; clinical work that formed part of one of the earliest randomised controlled trials. In 1951 Mann moved to the RACH where he researched infantile infectious gastroenteritis and introduced (now commonplace) practices at the hospital, including barrier nursing. He lived in Rottingdean, Sussex, and enjoyed sailing, gardening and wood turning. Mann's impact on paediatric care in Brighton was recognised by the hospital, naming the Trevor Mann Baby Unit in his honour, upon his retirement in 1981. This article seeks to record his contributions and reconnect local clinicians with his memory.
J Med Biogr
· 2024 Feb · PMID 35379030
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Seventy years ago, two medical art students painted a group portrait of the staff of the anatomy department in the University of Manchester Medical School. The painting is an unusual allegorical portrayal of the staff as...Seventy years ago, two medical art students painted a group portrait of the staff of the anatomy department in the University of Manchester Medical School. The painting is an unusual allegorical portrayal of the staff as pantomime characters. This paper asks: who were they and what were their subsequent careers? Does this picture tell us anything about the role of anatomy in medical education in the 1950s?
Scharf JL, Dracopoulos C, Gembicki M
… +3 more, Rody A, Welp A, Weichert J
J Med Biogr
· 2023 May · PMID 35341377
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'Making the invisible visible' is a requirement of a coveted prize for scientific photography - the - which is named after the pioneer of human embryo photography. There is no way of avoiding his influence if the hither...'Making the invisible visible' is a requirement of a coveted prize for scientific photography - the - which is named after the pioneer of human embryo photography. There is no way of avoiding his influence if the hitherto invisible is to be made visible, the intangible almost tangible, the unimaginable made imaginable, and mysteries otherwise hidden from the human eye are to be processed in a popular-scientific way and visualized in an artistic way by means of scientific-medical imaging techniques. Whilst Lennart Nilsson used state-of-the-art imaging technology within the rapidly evolving field of endoscopy, he also created what is probably the best-selling illustrated book of all times with contributing to both the further understanding of early prenatal development, as well as achieving worldwide popularity.
J Med Biogr
· 2023 May · PMID 35317689
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In 1837 Guillaume von Dupuytren (1777-1835) wrote that the innovative method of reducing an ankle fracture by relaxing the calf muscles was due to both William Sharp (1729-1810) and Percivall Pott (1714-1788). While hist...In 1837 Guillaume von Dupuytren (1777-1835) wrote that the innovative method of reducing an ankle fracture by relaxing the calf muscles was due to both William Sharp (1729-1810) and Percivall Pott (1714-1788). While history records the many surgical achievements of Percivall Pott, little is known of William Sharp's contribution. He is probably best known as one of a remarkable family portrayed by Johan Zoffany (1733-1810) and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1781. We review William Sharp's career and contribution as a surgeon to the treatment of fracture/dislocations of the ankle and ask why his concept is not better known today.
J Med Biogr
· 2022 Nov · PMID 35259938
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The human face reflects a person's character and emotions, both in health and disease. Charles Bell, published in 1806 in which he stressed the importance of understanding anatomy when studying art. He concluded that em...The human face reflects a person's character and emotions, both in health and disease. Charles Bell, published in 1806 in which he stressed the importance of understanding anatomy when studying art. He concluded that emotions were revealed in facial expression and that these expressions were only to be found in humans, not in lower animals. Charles Darwin in 1872 published , where he acknowledged Bell's contribution to facial expression especially the role of the nervous system, but questioned Bell's conclusion, that animals were incapable of showing emotions through facial expression. Darwin reasoned that human facial expressions reflected emotions, some from our primeval state, some from habit but most were universal and controlled by an involuntary nervous system, described by Bell, and now known as the parasympathetic system. This paper explores Bell's contribution to the understanding of facial expression. We conclude that his understanding of neuroanatomy along with his artistic ability enhanced our comprehension of human facial expressions, although his theological interpretation of the reason for facial expressions and emotions needs to be seen more in the context of nineteenth century Natural Theology.
J Med Biogr
· 2024 Feb · PMID 35257625
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Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War general and twice-elected President of the United States, was highly respected in late-19th century America. Gradually however, it became the conventional wisdom that he was an alcoholic who h...Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War general and twice-elected President of the United States, was highly respected in late-19th century America. Gradually however, it became the conventional wisdom that he was an alcoholic who had only succeeded as a general by using overwhelming force. This change began with his political enemies and those who resented his suppression of the Ku Klux Klan, his regard for the welfare of Native Americans and his support of Reconstruction. Jealous subordinates and those with an axe to grind added their voices to this and then the views of certain influential academic historians and romantic adherents of 'The Lost Cause' were unchallenged until the mid-1950s. Grant was undoubtedly an occasional binge drinker but this is not the same as being an alcoholic. Charles A. Dana is the most authoritative source for the claim that Grant was a frank alcoholic. In 1887 he wrote that Grant was drunk on a trip to Satartia, Mississippi in 1863 during the siege of Vicksburg. In this paper, the author shows that Grant was actually ill on that trip from the disease of malaria, alcohol was not involved at all, and that Grant suffered episodically from this disease both before and during the Civil War.
J Med Biogr
· 2024 Feb · PMID 35167377
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John Graunt, a largely self-educated London draper, can plausibly be regarded as the founding father of demography, epidemiology and vital statistics. In his only publication, based on a pioneering analysis of the London...John Graunt, a largely self-educated London draper, can plausibly be regarded as the founding father of demography, epidemiology and vital statistics. In his only publication, based on a pioneering analysis of the London Bills of Mortality, he replaced guesswork with reasoned estimates of population sizes and the first accurate information on male:female ratios. He quantified the extent of immigration from countryside to city and his demonstration of the 'dying out' of a cohort paved the way for life table analysis. His comparison of London data with rural data provided the first recognition of the 'urban penalty'. His use of the first known tabular aggregates of health data clarified distinctions between acute diseases, which were often epidemic, and chronic illnesses which were often endemic. He quantified the high infant mortality and attempted the calculation of a case fatality rate during an epidemic of fever. He was the first to document the phenomenon of 'excess deaths' during epidemics. He provided a template for numerical analysis of demographic and health data and initiated the concepts of statistical association, statistical inference and population sampling. By making a novel concept intelligible to a broad audience he influenced the thinking of doctors, demographers and mathematicians.
J Med Biogr
· 2023 Aug · PMID 35139681
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Dimitrios Zambakis was an acclaimed physician at his time, most recognized for his work on leprosy. He theorized that leprosy was a hereditary disease, receiving many awards for his work including the Cholera Medal of Ho...Dimitrios Zambakis was an acclaimed physician at his time, most recognized for his work on leprosy. He theorized that leprosy was a hereditary disease, receiving many awards for his work including the Cholera Medal of Honour (1854), Château-Villard Prize from the Faculty of Medicine in Paris (1898), The Montyon Prize, and the title of Pasha. However, his theory was routinely argued against and was later proven to be invalid. Leprosy is regarded as a contagious disease spread by contact and is not hereditary. The last name appears to be spelled in various ways (Zambakis, Zambaco). For this paper, "Dimitrios Zambakis" will be used.
J Med Biogr
· 2024 Feb · PMID 34955051
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The Scottish doctor Robert Erskine (1677-1718) became Chief Doctor of Russia and personal physician to Tsar Peter the Great. Extensive archival material documents his remarkable career. From schooling in the village of A...The Scottish doctor Robert Erskine (1677-1718) became Chief Doctor of Russia and personal physician to Tsar Peter the Great. Extensive archival material documents his remarkable career. From schooling in the village of Alva and apprenticeship to an Edinburgh apothecary, he went on to study medicine in Paris and Utrecht and was admitted to the Royal Society in London. Recruited into the service of the Tsar, to whom he became a trusted friend and counsellor, Erskine played a central role in the modernisation of Russian medicine, pharmacy and natural science in the early 18th century. His untimely death at age 41 was marked with a state funeral in St Petersburg. Some historians in Russia assert that in their country, the development of medicine and the natural sciences took place without the transitional stages of iatrochemistry and iatrophysics which characterised the shift in scientific thinking throughout Europe in the early modern period. This study of archival records shows that Erskine held iatrophysical and iatrochemical views in common with his European contemporaries. His influence ensured that Russia was thoroughly involved in European developments in science and medicine in the 18th century.
J Med Biogr
· 2022 May · PMID 34932400
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In 1940 during the early phase of the Nazi aerial assault on Britain, the English neurophysiologist, C.S. Sherrington, age 83 years, had just published a philosophical work, , and was researching the writings of Jean Fer...In 1940 during the early phase of the Nazi aerial assault on Britain, the English neurophysiologist, C.S. Sherrington, age 83 years, had just published a philosophical work, , and was researching the writings of Jean Fernel, a 16th century French physician Sherrington's study of Fernel stemmed from a common interest they shared in the association between the mind and the brain. This essay was prompted by a short letter penned by Sherrington in December 1940 and bound years later in his biography, , published in 1946. The letter requested information about a particular medical work by Fernel but also mentioned in passing Sherrington's recent forced evacuation from his home in Ipswich, threatened by German bombing and invasion. The letter in the book invited a reprise of his remarkable career and a study of his last neurological concern - the mind-brain mystery.
J Med Biogr
· 2022 Aug · PMID 34932397
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The ancient fishing village of Lower Largo or the Seatoun of Largo stands quietly on Largo Bay along the north side of the Firth of Forth and is famous as being the birthplace of its famous resident, Alexander Selkirk, w...The ancient fishing village of Lower Largo or the Seatoun of Largo stands quietly on Largo Bay along the north side of the Firth of Forth and is famous as being the birthplace of its famous resident, Alexander Selkirk, who inspired Daniel Defoe's, . However, it has another resident, Dr. John Goodsir, who, for forty-six years served as a medical practitioner and was a Minister of the Gospel at the Largo Baptist Church for twenty years. The current work describes the life of this ordinary early medical practitioner and surgeon, discusses his correspondences, and finally examines his role as serving as Largo's Baptist minister.
J Med Biogr
· 2024 Aug · PMID 34932396
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JEH Roberts was a leading figure in the new specialty of thoracic surgery before Second World War. His interest in this branch of surgery began during First World War when he served as a Major in a casualty clearing stat...JEH Roberts was a leading figure in the new specialty of thoracic surgery before Second World War. His interest in this branch of surgery began during First World War when he served as a Major in a casualty clearing station and operated under local anaesthesia and without X-ray facilities. He reported a series of 199 cases of severe chest injury in which operation had been carried out in 67 patients - of whom 34 had made a complete recovery, a remarkable achievement in 1917. He was the first to use negative pressure suction drainage of the chest to encourage full expansion of the lung after thoracotomy, and he developed a plastic operation on the chest wall to treat chronic empyema. Together with HP Nelson, he described one-stage lobectomy for lung resection and developed a new lung tourniquet for use during this operation.
González-Abadía A, Graue-Hernández EO, Viesca-Treviño C
… +1 more, Navas A
J Med Biogr
· 2023 Aug · PMID 34927472
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Belisario Domínguez was a Mexican physician, ophthalmologist, and politician. He traveled abroad to France, where he studied High School, later he entered the School of Medicine at Sorbonne University in Paris. Back in M...Belisario Domínguez was a Mexican physician, ophthalmologist, and politician. He traveled abroad to France, where he studied High School, later he entered the School of Medicine at Sorbonne University in Paris. Back in Mexico, Domínguez installed his medical office in his house. Belisario was recognized for his philanthropic attitude, he also often sought the well-being being of Chiapas and Mexico. In 1911 he became Comitán Municipal President, after the overthrown of presidente Porfirio Díaz.He witnessed the coup against President Francisco Madero by General Huerta. Belisario wrote a speech in which he expressed the shame of having a traitor and murderer as President. As consequence of the speech, he was killed. After Belisario's assassination, an outrage was incited, damaging the image of President Huerta. Belisario's civic value was honored with a medal that bears his name " Belisario Domínguez Medal" in 1953 which is the greatest recognition that can be obtained by a Mexican.
J Med Biogr
· 2024 Feb · PMID 34913748
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(shaking movements of the foot upon dorsal flexion) were observed independently from each other and described in the same issue of a German peer reviewed journal by Carl (1833-1890) at the Charité in Berlin and by Wilhe...(shaking movements of the foot upon dorsal flexion) were observed independently from each other and described in the same issue of a German peer reviewed journal by Carl (1833-1890) at the Charité in Berlin and by Wilhelm (1840-1921) in Heidelberg. While Westphal used the term , Erb is credited with coining the term for the phenomenon. Both scientists are immortalized by various eponyms acknowledging their respective contributions to science. Little is known however about Julius (1840-1909), in those days resident at Charité, who noticed the phenomenon and presented it to his superiors, Wilhelm (1817 -1868) and Westphal In addition to such observations, Sander made original contributions in resuscitation physiology while working with Hugo (1839-1914). With Kronecker, Sander published observations on life saving transfusions with inorganic salt solutions in dogs a very early work on isovolemic fluid resuscitation. The purpose of this communication is to highlight Sander's scientific contributions and to shed some light on his life, of which a German Lexicon stated that .
J Med Biogr
· 2024 Feb · PMID 34907834
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Franz Tappeiner (1816, Laas - 1902, Merano) was an Austrian physician and anthropologist. He studied at the universities of Prague, Padua and Vienna and in 1846 he moved to Merano. Tappeiner investigated the transmission...Franz Tappeiner (1816, Laas - 1902, Merano) was an Austrian physician and anthropologist. He studied at the universities of Prague, Padua and Vienna and in 1846 he moved to Merano. Tappeiner investigated the transmission of pulmonary tuberculosis in animal models and he dealt with public health. As an anatomist, he performed thousands of craniometrics measurements, creating a huge skull collection later donated to the Natural History Museum in Vienna. In 1878, Tappeiner turned to archeology and palaeoanthropology, with the aim of clarifying the origins of the Alpine population of Tyroleans. He was also active as a botanist.