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­declarative (conscious recollection Henry Molaison of facts and events) and acquisition of new Patient who became a cause célèbre in the study of memory semantic knowledge. Since his short term memory was intact, researchers concluded Henry Gustav Molaison, though known until Milner was published in the Journal of Neurology, that this did not depend on the removed his death only as HM to protect his privacy, and Psychiatry in 1957 (20:11-21). It structures. Interestingly, HM was able to is considered to be “one of the most famous became one of the most highly cited articles in learn motor skills, implying a different type people in the history of .” He the field, with 1744 citations to 2001. of memory mechanism. would undoubtedly be surprised to discover Psychosurgery was still popular in the HM did not know his age and was unable that his death has been commemorated by United States in the early 1950s. The paper to acquire new vocabulary. His retrograde extensive obituaries in leading non-medical gives the results of formal memory and extended back to the age of 16. publications, including the New York Times, Los intelligence testing of He appeared content Angeles Times, and Economist. , nine patients who had at all times and rarely a psychologist at Massachusetts Institute of undergone bilateral complained of anything, Technology who worked with HM for 45 medial including pain, hunger, years and who is writing a book about her resection. Eight in every and thirst (which might experience, has arranged to preserve his nine operations of this be caused by bilateral brain for future study. Columbia Pictures and sort were carried out in amygdalectomy). He also the film producer Scott Rudin have already patients with psychosis showed no interest in acquired the rights to make a biopic of Henry (schizophrenia or manic sexual relationships and Molaison, to be based on Corkin’s memoirs. depressive psychosis), in never had a girlfriend. At Henry Molaison was born near Hartford, order to, as Scoville and the same time his intel- Connecticut, the son of an electrician. Three Milner put it, “secure as lectual abilities remained first cousins on his father’s side had . It far as possible any ben- intact. When explaining to remains unclear whether a minor head injury eficial effects a complete Corkin why he could not at the age of 7 years had any role in the devel- frontal lobotomy might fulfil his dream of being opment of Henry’s petit mal seizures from the have, while at the same About 100 investigators a neurosurgeon, he said age of 10 and his grand mal seizures from age time avoiding its unde- subsequently studied HM’s lost that “he wears glasses, and 16. On graduating from high school in 1947 sirable side effects.” In memory. These studies revealed that blood might spurt up he worked on an assembly line and as a motor three cases (including the role of medial temporal onto his glasses, creating winder. His seizures were not controlled by that of HM) severe mem- lobe structures in conscious an obstacle to his vision anticonvulsants, and electroencephalography ory defect was observed recollection of facts and events and causing him to miss showed diffuse abnormalities. He was referred after surgery, but in psy- his target in the patient’s to William Beecher Scoville, a neurosurgeon chotic patients it was often not recognised brain, thereby causing the patient harm.” at Hartford Hospital, who performed a bilat- immediately “because of disturbed emo- His topographical memory was also pre- eral temporal lobe resection on 23 August tional state.” The authors concluded that served, as he was able to draw an accurate 1953. All brain tissue medial to the temporal “bilateral medial temporal lobe resection floor plan of the bungalow near Hartford horns of the lateral ventricles was removed, in man results in a persistent impairment where he lived with his parents from 1958. In including the uncus, , and hippoc- of recent memory whenever the removal 1974 HM and his mother moved to live with ampus. His seizures became less frequent is carried far enough posteriorly to damage a relative, a psychiatric nurse who could care (one or two grand mal fits a year), but severe portions of the anterior and for them in her home. In 1980 he was trans- memory loss () was soon hippocampal gyrus.” ferred to a nursing home in Windsor Locks, detected. Scoville wrote: “After operation this About 100 investigators subsequently stud- ­Connecticut. He passed the time watching young man could no longer recognise the hos- ied HM’s lost memory. Milner wrote in 1968 ­television and doing crossword puzzles. He pital staff nor find his way to the bathroom, on why so much effort had been expended had to be reminded to shave, eat, brush his and he seemed to nothing of the day to on one patient: teeth, and comb his hair. His mobility became day events of his hospital life. There was also The answer lies in the “purity” of the memory markedly reduced, because of diffuse brain a partial .” disorder and its known dependence on a rare atrophy and osteoporosis as a result of con- Alerted by Scoville, Wilder Penfield, a surgical procedure, bilateral temporal lobe stant phenytoin treatment. He died of respira- director of the Montreal Neurological Insti- resection, which is not likely to be repeated tory failure at the age of 82. tute, sent the psychologist to because of the evident risk to memory in such Boleslav Lichterman a lesion. examine the patient. HM became famous Henry Gustav Molaison, amnesiac (b 1926), died 2 after the paper “Loss of recent memory after These studies revealed the role of medial December 2008. bilateral hippocampal lesions” by Scoville and temporal lobe structures in long term Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b968

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Gordon joined his father in thumb (BMJ 1953;ii:1271). After his David John Evans private general practice in Ivor Gwyndaf Pryce retirement he continued his local Sloane Street, Kensington, later involvement, founding a village moving to Wilton Crescent. After orchestra and a British motorbike his father’s death he moved to club. He leaves a wife, Jocelyn; four Walton Place in 1974, remaining children; and four grandchildren. in singlehanded practice (apart Andrew Pyper from a few years when joined by Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b923 his stepdaughter) until retiring in 2004. He loved being a family doctor, making himself readily Desmond John Woods Former professor of histopathology available, and his practice Former consultant psychiatrist Imperial College of Science and spanned several generations of Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff (b Technology and Medicine and families. He was also for many 1926; q Cardiff/University College honorary consultant St Mary’s years company doctor for the Hospital, London, 1951; MD, Hospital, London (b 1937; q Charterhouse Group, News FRCPsych), died from Alzheimer’s Cambridge/The London 1961; International, and P&O. He leaves disease and pneumonia on 7 FRCPath), d 23 November 2008. a wife, Olivia, and by his first wife, December 2008. David John Evans gained an open Sissel, a son and two grandsons; Ivor Gwyndaf Pryce won an NUM major scholarship and exhibition to one son predeceased him. scholarship to study medicine. Cambridge, and prizes in medicine John Kirkham After a year in general practice Former consultant paediatrician and paediatrics. He became reader Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1096 in Merthyr Tydfil he trained in Palmerston North and Auckland, New at the Royal Postgraduate Medical psychiatry, being appointed Zealand (b 1917; q Otago 1952; CBE, School, Hammersmith, in 1974 and consultant in 1962. He specialised FRCPEd, FRACP), professor of tissue pathology in David Millward in rehabilitation, and led d 27 December 2008. 1980, and in 1988 was appointed the progressive psychiatric Desmond John Woods (“Des”) to the chair of histopathology at rehabilitation work in Cardiff. After completed exams in accountancy Imperial College. He investigated his retirement in 1990, he served as a serviceman, also serving with the mechanisms of injury of anti- as Mental Health Act commissioner distinction in the North African and glomerular basement membrane for Wales and the West Midlands Italian campaigns. On returning (anti-GBM) antibody disease and (1991-9), and as chairman of to New Zealand, he jumped at the its treatment by plasma exchange. the Welsh Psychiatric Society opportunity for ex-servicemen Later he showed the presence (1994). Predeceased by his first to study medicine. Service with of amyloid P in the glomerular wife, Ray, in 1979, he leaves his the Royal New Zealand Navy as basement membrane and studied Former general practitioner Cardiff second wife, Beatrice, a son and surgeon lieutenant enabled him to the genetic determinants of (b 1932; q Welsh National School grandson from his first marriage, train in paediatrics in Edinburgh. glomerulonephritis. He leaves a of Medicine 1955), d 10 June 2008. and two stepchildren and a step- He returned as consultant at wife, Margaret; two daughters; and After qualification and house granddaughter from his second. Palmerston North Hospital in 1960. four granddaughters. jobs, David Millward signed up for Rachel Unsworth In 1976 he moved to Auckland David Ansell an extra year during his national Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1101 as medical superintendent of the Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1093 service in the Royal Army Medical Mangere Hospital and Training Corps, attached to the King’s School for intellectually disabled Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Patrick Rawlence children, retiring in 1984. Alistair John Gordon Cyprus and Germany. After leaving Former general practitioner Pulham Predeceased by his wife, Frances, in the forces, he entered general Market, Diss, Norfolk (b 1916; q St 1992, he leaves five children and 11 practice, becoming a partner in the Thomas’s Hospital, London, 1940), grandchildren. Docks Practice in Cardiff and one died from a metastatic sarcoma on 7 Rosemary Marks of the two police surgeons in the January 2009. Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1099 city. In 1970 he opened a surgery Patrick Rawlence (“Doc,” “Pat”) at his home in Cyncoed, Cardiff, volunteered for the Friends’ and was appointed lecturer in Ambulance Unit in South-West Advice general practice attached to China during the second world war, We will be pleased to receive obituary notices of around 250 the Welsh National School of then settled in general practice for words. In most cases we will be able Former general practitioner, Medicine. A “doctors doctor,” the next 30 years. A shepherd of his to publish only about 100 words in London (b 1936; q Cambridge/St David retired at 63 and bore the ill flock, he was ahead of his time in the printed journal, but we can run a Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, health that dogged his retirement practising patient centred care and fuller version on our website. We will 1961), died from pneumonia with fortitude. He leaves a wife, working with a nurse practitioner in take responsibility for shortening. complicating a fractured femur on Elaine; four daughters; and eight the 1970s, yet promoting tried and We do not send proofs. Please give a contact telephone number and, 29 November 2008. grandchildren. tested past practices. He recounted where possible, supply the obituary After qualifying and posts Howell Lloyd treating a Chinese patient with by email to [email protected] in Portsmouth, Alistair John Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b927 tetanus by amputating his infected

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