Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: British Medical Journal

  • Emil von Behring and passive antibody therapy

    In a March 1929 editorial, the British Medical Journal referred to Emil von Behring (1854–1917) as one of the greatest benefactors of humanity. Recipient of the first-ever Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and awarded a title of nobility, the German physiologist who developed a serum for treating diphtheria and tetanus was showered with orders…

  • Walter Edward Dandy

    JMS PearceHull, England In the history of American neurosurgery, two names stand out from the rest: Harvey Cushing (1869–1939) and Walter Edward Dandy (1886–1946). Sadly, they were inveterate rivals. Dandy was undoubtedly a brilliant pioneer of both neurosurgical research and practice. He was born in in a small house on 5th Street, Sedalia, Missouri, an…

  • Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

    JMS PearceHull, England, United Kingdom Elizabeth Blackwell and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson were the first women physicians in the United States and Britain.1 Both were born in England. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-I9I0) was born in Bristol but moved with her family to New York when aged eleven. Only after twelve medical schools rejected her did she manage…

  • A circle of hip surgery around four continents

    Peter ArnoldSydney, Australia My story begins in Sydney in late January 1980. A businessman in his mid-fifties (Mr. C.) had been on his way to source products in the UK. As his student son was traveling in Italy, he decided to visit him by stopping over in Rome on his way north. When the young…

  • Nikolai Gogol’s The Diary of a Madman

    James L. FranklinChicago, Illinois, United States Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809–1852) was a member of the first wave of great Russian authors of the nineteenth century. Born in a Ukrainian Cossack village then part of the Russian Empire, he made his way to Saint Petersburg where he found his métier in the short story; a genre…

  • A CV for posterity

    Anthony PapagiannisThessaloniki, Greece The British Medical Journal (BMJ) is one of the oldest and most eminent general medical journals. Among its many and varied features is a regular obituaries page. Departed members of all branches of the medical profession, academic teachers, researchers and Nobel Prize winners, hospital and army doctors, and general practitioners, are remembered…

  • Frances Oldham Kelsey: A medical profile in courage

    Kevin R. LoughlinBoston, Massachusetts, United States Her name has disappeared into the vault of medical history and her dedication to scientific rigor and patient safety has been largely forgotten. Yet her silent but tangible legacy continues to this day. Born in Canada in 1914, Frances Oldham Kelsey received a BSc (1934) and MSc (1935) in…

  • Peter Mark Roget, MD, FRS of the Thesaurus

    His obituary as it appeared in the British Medical Journal on Sept. 25, 1869 Dr. Peter Mark Roget died on September 10th, at Malvern, in the 91st year of his age. He was the son of the Rev. John Roget, a descendant of a Swiss family, and minister of one of the Swiss churches in…

  • Death in ancient times

    George DuneaChicago, IL British Medical Journal, Volume 294, 18 April 1987 “Many a physician has slain a king!” the emperor Hadrian shouted aloud as he lay on his deathbed. But Augustus when he was near death gathered his friends to ask if, in the manner of actors, he deserved applause for having played well his…

  • Many physicians have slain a king

    George Dunea BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL – VOLUME 308  (January 29, 1994) Modern tourists know Hadrian mainly for his mausoleum in Rome or for the wall that he built in the north of England to keep out the barbarians. Historians think of him as an effective emperor and a capable administrator. But he was also a…