The D'arbela Saga

Volume 33 No. 2 December 2007 Adler Museum of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg The Adler Museum of Medicine was founded in 1962 and the first electrocardiograph machine (1917) used and was situated in the grounds of the South African in the Johannesburg General Hospital, early Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg. It is anaesthetic apparatus, ear trumpets and brass ear now housed at the University of the Witwatersrand’s syringes (early 20 th century), hospital and nursing Medical School Campus in Parktown, Johannesburg. equipment and medical ephemera. In June 1974 the Museum’s co-founders, Drs Cyril There are reconstructions of an African herb shop, a and Esther Adler, presented the Museum to the patient consulting a sangoma (traditional healer), University of the Witwatersrand which named it the and a 20 th century Johannesburg pharmacy, a Adler Museum as a token of the esteem in which the doctor’s consulting room, a dental surgery, an founders were held by the University. In addition, the operating theatre and an optometry display of the University bestowed the degree of Doctor of Laws same period. A history of scientific medicine is (honoris causa ) upon Dr Adler and the degree of augmented with displays of several alternative Doctor of Philosophy ( honoris causa ) upon Mrs modalities. Other attractions range from a Esther Adler. Until Esther Adler’s death in 1982 she reconstruction of a patient being treated by the was the Museum’s Honorary Curator while Cyril famous Persian physician Avicenna to an exhibition Adler acted as Honorary Director of the Museum. of early electro-medical equipment. From 1982 Dr Cyril Adler was appointed by the University as Director/Curator of the Adler Museum, A showcase containing new acquisitions to the a post he held until his death in 1988. collection is constantly changed as donations are received. The objects displayed provide an insight 1975 saw the inception of the Adler Museum into the range and diversity of the collection. Bulletin , the brainchild of Mrs Rose Meltzer. Mrs Meltzer produced the first edition single-handedly In the foyer outside the Museum is a display of early and she continued to edit it until her retirement in iron lungs. Panels relating to the history of the 1991 and was editorial consultant until her death in Cradle of Humankind (Sterkfontein and environs) 1992. and a display of replicas from the site gives visitors a fascinating glimpse into this world heritage site. The Museum contains interesting and invaluable collections depicting the history of medicine, The Museum has a rare book collection and a dentistry, optometry and pharmacy through the significant history of health sciences reference library. ages. Items of medical historical interest on display An archive arranged by subject matter is housed in include microscopes and other scientific instruments, the library. Biographical information relating to early bleeding and cupping equipment with an thousands of medical and allied health professionals exquisitely crafted incision knife, ceramic pharmacy is available for research purposes which includes jars dating back to the 17 th century, a collection of photographs, notebooks, academic certificates, bone china and ceramic feeding cups, some dating records, personal papers and memorabilia of from the 18 th and 19 th centuries, an early 19 th century prominent health professionals and academics. wooden handled amputation set in a wooden case, diagnostic and surgical instruments, treatment The Museum arranges public lectures, tours, apparatus such as one advertised as ‘Patent magnetic temporary exhibitions and provides excellent electrical machine for nervous diseases’ used by facilities for health sciences historical teaching and Queen Victoria to ease her rheumatism (19 th century) research. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors concerned and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors, the Editorial Board or the Board of Control of the Adler Museum of Medicine. Application forms for membership of the Adler Museum of Medicine can be obtained from the Curator, Adler Museum of Medicine, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193. Telephone and fax: (+11) 717 2081. Visit the Museum on the Internet: www.http://health.wits.ac.za/adler The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without the consent of the Editors or the prior permission of the author(s) concerned. ISSN 0379-6531 Adler Museum of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences BOARD OF CONTROL The Board of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, has appointed the following members to serve on the Board of Control: Vice Dean: Faculty of Health Sciences __________________ Professor Merryll Vorster Department of Anatomical Sciences ___________________ Professor P V Tobias Health Graduates’ Association ________________________ Dr P Davis Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa _________________ Mr B Sachs Department of Arts, Culture and Heritage Services: City of Johannesburg _________________________________ Ms Alba Letts Medical Students’ Council _____________________________ Mr Edward Ngwenya Other members ______________________________________ Professor JCA Davies Mr Ali Khangela Hlongwane Mr Sekibakiba Peter Lekgoathi Dr G Štrkalj STAFF MEMBERS Curator ______________________________________________ Mrs Rochelle Keene Professional Officer ___________________________________ Ms Cheryl-Anne Cromie Documentation Officer _______________________________ Mr David Sekgwele Museum Attendant ___________________________________ Mr Gilbert Singo ADLER MUSEUM BULLETIN 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Editors JCA Davies MB BS (London) Rochelle Keene BA(Hons)(Witwatersrand) Email [email protected] Contents Editorial: Scientists and society ______________________________________________________ 1 Professor JCA Davies The Writing Life of James D Watson: Writing and Publishing – ________________________ 3 The Double Helix Errol C Friedberg The D’Arbela Saga: some African reflections _________________________________________ 17 Professor Krishna Somers Adventures in the Golden Age of Molecular Biology __________________________________ 33 Errol C Friedberg From the Curator’s Desk: Walking on eggs or, the curate’s egg _________________________ 38 Rochelle Keene Obituary: Pierre Jacques ____________________________________________________________ 39 Sam Fehrsen Instructions to authors _____________________________________________________________ 41 Editorial Scientists and society In recent issues of the Bulletin a series of essays fashioned medical officer of health accepted the have described the careers of Wits graduates in scrutiny of the ratepayers and their elected local medicine who left South Africa in the 1950s and authority councilors. 1960s. Over the same period four distinguished medical scientists, all of them local graduates, At the same time it is obvious that James Watson have delivered the annual AJ Orenstein Memorial was not always tactful about why and how he Lecture sponsored by the Adler Museum of intended to set out the story – he was after all Medicine. Apart from providing interesting American and Crick was quintessentially British. reading, these are meant to stimulate serious But they had spent years in close proximity in thought about the relevance of what the authors their shared laboratory and must have traversed attempt to put across. The latest Orenstein lecture the whole range of emotional experience together. does this admirably. What do you make of the enigmatic figure of Professor Errol Friedberg’s presentation was, as Rosalind Franklin? Men may fall into romantic expected, polished and presented in a deceptively error for they are male and she is a woman, and low key. It is in this issue for you to read and women, because she is of like gender may tend to decide whether what some see as the key issues judge her harshly? Is it fortunate or unfortunate are really worth pondering. For example, do you that the Orenstein lecture should raise a gender think that Francis Crick made too much of his issue in a country pre-occupied with individual valued privacy? Thinking about it, would you go human rights, including gender issues? Perhaps it further and wonder whether the ‘experts’ in is an opportunity, in a Faculty of Health Sciences almost every field are remote from the hurly-burly in which the gender balance has changed of everyday life as it is lived by a huge proportion radically, to take a new look at the matter and to of the world’s population? Could it be argued that take it a little further than is usual. Can we say they are distancing themselves more by the day, with confidence that in the course of research at as the society they have helped to shape comes the highest scientific level, of which there is a under increasing threat? A particularly great deal in the Faculty, no male is ever interesting, not to say provocative, example of dismissive of research findings or speculative innovative methods of social exclusion is given in scientific discourse because it comes from a Professor Jacklyn Cock’s analysis of the current woman? predilection of the extremely rich for residence on golf estates. There is a suggestion that the Coincidentally the publication of a universal scientifically able and the very wealthy may have ethical code for scientists by Professor Sir David something in common which impels them, by King, the British government’s

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