Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

William Arbuthnot Lane (1856-1943): Surgical Innovator And His Theory Of Autointoxication., Mackenzie Morris, Thea Price, Scott W. Cowan, Charles J. Yeo, Benjamin Phillips

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

William Arbuthnot Lane contributed to the advancement of many fields of orthopedics, otolaryngology, and general surgery. He is credited for his "no-touch technique" and the invention of long-handled instruments, some of which are still in use today, to minimize tissue handling. He is most well known for his hypothesis that slowing of gastric contents could cause a variety of ailments and this became known as Lane's disease. Although his surgical treatment of Lane's disease is now defunct, it advanced the surgical technique in colorectal surgery. It seems likely that some of Lane's "autointoxication" patients would be classified today as patients …

A Brief Overview Of The Life And Work Of Lyon Henry Appleby, M.D. (1895-1970)., Jon Harrison, Michael J. Pucci, Scott W. Cowan, Charles Yeo

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

The life and work of Dr. Lyon Henry Appleby, M.D., portrays the essence of a devoted clinician committed to scholarly excellence. Born in Deseronto, Ontario, in 1895 and passing in 1970, Dr. Appleby influenced all areas of general surgery, most notably popularizing a procedure that bears his name today. After a tour in World War I, he quickly proved himself to be a dedicated clinician with roots in academia, which translated into excellence within the Department of Surgery at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. He served in various leadership roles including Chair of the Department of Surgery, President of …

Emil Zuckerkandl, M.D. (1849-1910): Bridging Anatomic Study And The Operating Room Table., Leah Winer, Md, Pankhuri Jha, Scott W. Cowan, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott D. Goldstein, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

In the mid-19th century, the Vienna School of Anatomy was at the epicenter of the rapidly growing field of anatomy. One of the school’s most distinguished professors, Hungarian-born anatomist Emil Zuckerkandl was instrumental in transforming anatomy from a descriptive science to one of practical and clinical value. A prolific researcher interested in nearly all areas of morphology and most famously, the chromaffin system, Zuckerkandl’s discoveries from more than a century ago still provide a foundation for surgeons to this day.

Alton Ochsner, Md (1896-1981): Surgical Pioneer And Legacy Linking Smoking And Disease., Christina L. Costantino, Md, Jordan M. Winter, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Edward William Alton Ochsner kept a plain, metal card file in which he recorded close to 50 years worth of medical experiences, research, and insights. The most populated topics were filed as "Cancer, Lung" and "Cancer, Bronchogenic." These reflected his areas of greatest interest, for which he would go on to produce groundbreaking work. Of his many lifetime accomplishments, he is perhaps best known for being the first to report a link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. This was just one of the many ways in which Ochsner worked to effect social change. The establishment of the Ochsner Health …

Frederic E. Mohs, M.D. (1910-2002): Physician And Innovator., Nicholas A. Ross, B.A., Nazanin Saedi, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Frederic “Fred” E. Mohs was an “honest and good man, a ferocious and courageous worker.”1 Husband, father of three, prolific writer, and speaker, Dr. Mohs was a pioneer in many fields. His desire to do good was fueled by his enthusiasm for scientific advancement (Frederic E. Mohs Jr., personal communication, 2014). He is most remembered for Mohs Micrographic Surgery, formerly chemosurgery, which allows visualization and examination of all tissue margins achieving skin cancer cure rates of 98 to 99 per cent.

Vivien Thomas: Master Craftsman, Gifted Teacher, And Unsung Hero., Alisha Joyner, B.S., Charles J. Yeo, Md, Pinckney J. Maxwell, Iv, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

The field of pediatric cardiovascular surgery gained international recognition in 1944 with the first successful correction of a tetralogy of Fallot congenital anomaly in a 15-month-old patient. Dr. Helen Taussig (1898 to 1986), a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Hospital, recognized the need for the procedure. Dr. Alfred Blalock (1899 to 1964), Chief of Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, is credited with performing the surgery. However, there is an unsung hero who for many years did not receive a single mention in the medical literature. Vivien Thomas (1910 to 1985) was Dr. Blalock’s research assistant who is said to have stood …

Francis Daniels Moore: One Of The Brightest Minds In The Surgical Field., Sara L. Low, Bs, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md, Ashesh P. Shah, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Francis Daniels Moore was a pioneer ahead of his time who made numerous landmark contributions to the field of surgery, including the understanding of metabolic physiology during surgery, liver and kidney transplant, and the famous Study on Surgical Services of the United States (SOSSUS) report of 1975 that served for decades as a guideline for development of surgical residencies. He was the epitome of what a physician should be, a compassionate and dedicated surgeon, innovative scientist, and a medical professional dedicated to quality medical education across all specialties.

Robert Edward Gross (1905-1988): Ligation Of A Patent Ductus Arteriosus And The Birth Of A Specialty., Alexander V. Chalphin, Bs, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md, Stacey Milan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

The early 20th century saw an explosion in surgical expertise. Specialties dedicated to delicate organs such as the heart and vulnerable populations, like children, were in their infancy. Dr. William E. Ladd, the father of pediatric surgery, founded the first dedicated department of pediatric surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital in 1910. At the time, attempts at cardiac surgery almost universally ended in death of the patient. The first successful surgical treatment of the cardiac valves would not occur for another 15 years, and the great vessels would remain out of reach for decades more. Dr. Robert E. Gross, the shy …

Roscoe Reid Graham (1890 To 1948): A Canadian Pioneer In General Surgery., Christine C. Piper, Ba, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Roscoe Reid Graham, a Canadian surgeon trained at the University of Toronto, was a true pioneer in the field of general surgery. Although he may be best known for his omental patch repair of perforated duodenal ulcers-often referred to as the "Graham patch"-he had a number of other significant accomplishments that decorated his surgical career. Dr. Graham is credited with being the first surgeon to successfully enucleate an insulinoma. He ventured to do an essentially brand new operation based solely on his patient's symptoms and physical findings, a courageous move that even some of the most talented surgeons would shy …

Mary H. Gibbon: Teamwork Of The Heart., Alexandra Columbus, Ba, Scott W. Cowan, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Stacey A. Milan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Mary "Maly" Hopkinson Gibbon was born on September 25, 1903, to an affluent New England family who encouraged her to embrace her intelligence and to follow that by which she was intrigued. In doing this, Maly pursued work in scientific research, where she ultimately met her first husband, Dr. John ‘‘Jack’’ H. Gibbon. Jack and Maly were partners in every sense of the word. Their collaboration, both within and beyond the walls of the research laboratory, made it possible for the Gibbon dream of the heart–lung machine to be realized.

Edoardo Bassini (1844-1924): Father Of Modern-Day Hernia Surgery., Wei Phin Tan, B.S., Harish Lavu, Md, Ernest L. Rosato, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

According to Roman scripture, it was Celsus who attempted the first inguinal hernia repair in history during the first century A.D. His attempts were unsuccessful and resulted in an early recurrence of the hernia, which eventually led to the patient’s death.1 Over the next two millennia, little understanding was gained regarding the anatomy of the inguinal canal. It was only in the last 100 years that major advancements in herniorrhaphy were established, thanks in large part to the work of Edoardo Bassini, who revolutionized the surgical treatment of the inguinal hernia with a technique which has become the basis of …

Chevalier Jackson, M.D. (1865-1958): Il Ne Se Repose Jamais., Phi D Nguyen, B.A., Scott W. Cowan, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Nathaniel R. Evans Iii, M.D.

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

In the final year of the American Civil War, 1865, Chevalier Jackson was born on the 4th of November just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The eldest of three sons of a poor, livestock-raising family, Jackson was raised in a period of social and political unrest. He was perhaps an even more unrestful boy. The description of his childhood days from his father’s father—Il ne se repose jamais, ‘‘He never rests’’—would ultimately reflect the man, doctor, and evangelist Jackson would later become.1 Indeed, he never did rest, Jackson would tirelessly pave the way for modern bronchoscopy and endoscopy as a whole; bringing …

John Chalmers Dacosta (1863-1933): Restoration Of The Old Operating Table., Madalyn G. Peters, Md, Adam C. Berger, Md, Gordon Schwartz, Md, Mba, Facs, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

John Chalmers DaCosta was an influential chairman and the first Samuel D. Gross Professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He was well known throughout the field as a skilled surgeon, passionate speaker, and exceptional writer. In addition to countless accomplishments during his career, DaCosta was deeply dedicated to the preservation and commemoration of surgical history. This ideology was exemplified when he set out on a mission to recover the old wooden operating table used by many of his iconic mentors including Samuel D. Gross, Joseph Pancoast, and William W. Keen. This table was originally used for surgical …

William Edwards Ladd, M.D. (1880-1967): The Description Of His Bands., Pei-Wen Lim, Md, Niels D. Martin, Md, Barry A. Hicks, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

In the early 20th century, an established surgical specialty catering to pediatric surgery did not exist, and pediatric surgical ailments were operated on by general surgeons. With his devotion to childhood diseases and his unique thinking in surgical development, William E. Ladd would become a leading figure in America by pioneering the field of pediatric surgery.

Emil Theodor Kocher, M.D., And His Nobel Prize (1841-1917)., Zhi Ven Fong, B.S., Ernest L. Rosato, Md, Harish Lavu, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Major contributions to the advancement of surgery occurred at the turn of the 20th century. Theodor Billroth was in the midst of revolutionizing abdominal surgery, whereas Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister were making landmark strides in antisepsis, forever changing the foundations of surgical thinking. Undoubtedly, Theodor Kocher’s (Fig. 1) exposure to these and other giants had a major influence on his career and contributed to his success and ascent as the first, and one of only 10, surgeons ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

John Y. Templeton Iii: Pioneer Of Modern Cardiothoracic Surgery., Jing Li, B.S., Herbert E. Cohn, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

John Young Templeton III was born in 1917 in Portsmouth, Virginia, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1941. He completed his residency training under Dr. John H. Gibbon, Jr., and was the first resident who worked on Gibbon's heart-lung machine. After his training, he remained at Jefferson as an American Cancer Society fellow and Damon Runyon fellow and went on to become the fourth Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery in 1967. Dr. Templeton was the recipient of numerous grants and published over 80 papers in the field of cardiothoracic surgery. As a teacher …

Sir William Osler, M.D., C.M., Jonathan Sarik, B.S., Charles J. Yeo, Md, Pinckney J. Maxwell, Iv, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Sir William Osler impacted medical education and the practice of medicine like few other physicians. As a writer, he authored nearly 1500 publications and lent his name to numerous eponyms. As a teacher he educated vast numbers of students and through his legacy impacted countless more. Sir William Osler (Fig. 1) epitomized what a physician should be throughout his professional life.

John Blair Deaver, M.D., And His Marvelous Retractor., Timothy E. Newhook, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Pinckney J. Maxwell, Iv, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

John Blair Deaver was born near Buck, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County on July 25, 1855, to Dr. Joshua Montgomery Deaver and Elizabeth Clair Moore. The elder Deaver was a reputable country physician, educated at the University of Maryland, who fathered three physicians and a college president. John Blair Deaver (Fig. 1) went to boarding school at West Nottingham Academy in Maryland. After boarding school he taught in Lancaster County country schools to raise funds to attend the nation’s first medical school, the University of Pennsylvania. On receiving his M.D. degree in 1878, Dr. Deaver completed 1-year internships at both Germantown …

The Evolution Of Cauterization: From The Hot Iron To The Bovie., Michelle F. Deleon, Ms, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Pinckney Maxwell, Iv, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

The Bovie electrocautery has become a fundamental tool of modern-day surgery, particularly for its integral role in hemostasis, yet despite this landmark invention and its widespread use, there is very little said about the man behind the machine: William T. Bovie. It would be thousands of years from the inception of cautery in medicine until the birth of Dr. Bovie and his device. However, his work in biophysics and collaboration with Dr. Harvey Cushing would revolutionize surgical practice in the early 20th century and forever ingrain his name into the field of surgery.

Robert Milton Zollinger, M.D., Teacher, Surgeon, Soldier, And Farmer., Fiona M. Chory, B.S., Charles J. Yeo, Md, Pinckney J. Maxwell, Iv, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

From Humble roots, Dr. Robert Milton Zollinger worked his way to a position in history among the giants of American surgery. He was born on September 4, 1903, in the central Ohio town of Millersport, the son of Elmira and William Zollinger. Neither of his parents had a high school education, but they supported education and always expressed a confidence that young Robert would be successful at anything he attempted.1 He had aspirations of attending West Point, a dream that was never fulfilled when he decided to be a surgeon. On being informed of his son’s intentions, Zollinger’s father bestowed …

John H. Gibbon, Jr., M.D.: Surgical Innovator, Pioneer, And Inspiration., Jordan P. Bloom, B.S., Charles J. Yeo, Md, Herbert E. Cohn, Md, Pinckney J. Maxwell, Iv, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Throughout history there have been many discoveries that have changed the world, including Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, and Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce’s microchip. There are a few analogous contributions that have been made in medicine: Sir Alexander’s discovery of penicillin, Lister’s principles of antiseptic technique, Salk and Sabin’s vaccines for polio, as well as numerous others. These innovative thinkers all had two factors in common. First, they were pioneers who faced problems that had no solutions at the time and who refused to accept the status quo in the face of great scrutiny and …

Clinical Kidney Transplantation: A 50th Anniversary Review Of The First Reported Series, Vivian Charles Mcalister

Surgery Publications

BACKGROUND: Histories of kidney transplantation rarely mention a series reported by Gordon Murray of Toronto and published by the American Journal of Surgery 50 years ago.

METHODS: The papers and biographies of Gordon Murray were reviewed in the context of knowledge at that time about renal failure management to determine their contribution to transplantation research and to current practice.

RESULTS: Murray proceeded from a unique leadership position in vascular surgery, anticoagulation therapy, and dialysis to undertake a rational series of animal experiments and human trials of kidney transplantation that led him to the practices of graft irrigation, cold storage, pelvic …

Sacred Disease Of Our Times: Failure Of The Infectious Disease Model Of Spongiform Encephalopathy, Vivian Mcalister

Vivian C. McAlister

BACKGROUND: Public health and agricultural policy attempts to keep bovine spongiform encephalopathy out of North America using infectious disease containment policies. Inconsistencies of the infectious disease model as it applies to the spongiform encephalopathies may result in failure of these policies.

METHODS: Review of historical, political and scientific literature to determine the appropriate disease model of spongiform encephalopathy.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Spongiform encephalopathy has always occurred sporadically in man and other animals. Hippocrates may have described it in goats and cattle. Transmission of spongiform encephalopathy between individuals is too uncommon for it to be usefully considered an infection. Spongiform encephalopathy is …