Historia Otorhinolaryngologia: Volumen Primum

Review by E W Fisher
Birmingham, UK

This lavishly illustrated and beautifully produced book is volume one of a compilation of articles from the online journal dedicated to ENT-ORL history -Historia Otorhinolaryngologia. The articles are written mainly by members of the International Society for the History of Otorhinolaryngology which has met regularly since 2007. The editors are members with a particular interest in history who have researched and written widely in historical topics – Albert Mudry (Lausanne, Switzerland and Stanford), Wolfgang Pirsig (Ulm, Germany) and John Riddington Young (‘JRY’, Barnstaple, UK).

The most accessible, good value and shortish book on ENT history is Neil Weir’s wide-ranging textbook which has been updated by Neil with Albert Mudry’s assistance (1). This volume allows a more in-depth description of individual pieces of research and is enhanced by many colour illustrations. A difficulty with publishing historical articles in standard journals is a limitation in words and illustrations. The JLO publishes many and encourages short history articles, but this volume allows the authors to expand and do more justice to their topics. The range of topics in this volume is very wide and incorporates anatomy, pathology, all sub-specialties and particularly the interface between ENT and basic science, pre-history, art history, religion and literature.

The articles are so fascinating that it seems a pity to single out any, but I must. My favourites for artwork is the work on Hieronymus Bosch by Albert Mudry, for religion is JRY’s articles on Patron Saints and for quirky interest is Professor Pirsig and Sue Weir’s account of ‘An otological examination of a surgeon in 1811 …’. I recommend this tome to anyone who loves history, along with Neil and Albert’s book to give context. Both are good value.

Our first editor, Sir Morell Mackenzie, is honoured by an eponymous dining and discussion society founded by Tony Bull (1935-2016), who was both respected and loved by his trainees and colleagues. JRY has written a poem to act as a toast to the great man at society dinners. The poem appears in this book with an account of the society and is reproduced here with his permission. Roll on the next volume!

Ode to Sir Morell Mackenzie by John Riddington Young

Let us drink to Sir Morell Mackenzie
And celebrate what he has shown:
That a wise man will learn from another’s mistakes
But a fool never learns from his own.

Queen Victoria sent Morell Mackenzie
To consult her godson, the Kaiser.
Although Hun-spun doctors had seen him
H.M. thought Mackenzie much wiser.
The Prussians had said he’d got cancer
But Sir Morell had diagnosed pox;
All based on Prof Virchow’s biopsy report,
But he opened a Pandora’s Box.

Let us drink to Sir Morell Mackenzie.
And celebrate what he has shown:
That a wise man will learn from another’s mistakes
But a fool never learns from his own.

Kaiser Frederick III fared quite well at first,
But sadly then died of the cancer
Mackenzie’s reliance on Virchow’s report
Had led him to give the wrong answer.
Kaiser Fritz was terribly magnanimous,
But Hun-surgeons went into a frenzy.
They didn’t blame Virchow for murd’ring their King.
But they did accuse poor old Mackenzie.

So let’s drink to Sir Morell Mackenzie.
And celebrate what he has shown:
That a wise man will learn from another’s mistakes
But a fool never learns from his own.

So great was bad feeling in Berlin
At what they said England had done,
It was cited by some Hun historians
As a reason for Great World War I!
But honourable honest Mackenzie.
Only did what he had believed right
What care we if he upset Old Jerry
He’s the reason we’re all here tonight.

So let’s drink to Sir Morell Mackenzie.
And celebrate what he has shown:
That a wise man will learn from another’s mistakes
But a fool never learns from his own.

Reference
1. Weir N, Mudry A. Otorhinolaryngology: An Illustrated History. 2nd Ed. 2013. Headley Bros, Ashford.