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 chief scientific very different methods, to set themselves apart. advisor, is aimed at building trust between scientists and society. The rapid advance of The principal duty of scientists, whether in science has made it impossible for many people to research or in practice, is to assist in solving understand much of the new knowledge, and very society’s problems and to answer concerns difficult for established scientists to keep abreast of expressed by individuals or by communities. developments in their own and closely allied Surely in this role they should welcome the fields, let alone in science as a whole. Sydney opportunity to accept public scrutiny day in and Brenner, who shared an office with Crick at day out in much the same way as an old Cambridge for twenty years, pointed out to us in

1 his AJ Orenstein Memorial Lecture delivered in To quote Sydney Brenner again: ‘In the 2006 that ‘science and technology have developed biosciences, where facts and near-facts are so rapidly that most people outside the field are accumulating at an enormous rate without the unable to understand it and judge its accompanying synthesis, there is already an implications’. He went on to say that ‘we are still information crisis which will continue to worsen. living in this climate of public concern with new We are drowning in a sea of data and thirsting for methods of artificial reproduction, with cloning of Knowledge’, and the quest for a loom to weave a people, with stem cell therapy and gene therapy’. new social fabric is a high priority. South Africa demonstrates only too clearly the consequent lack of concern with what really In the rural areas of southern Africa the hectic matters in the health field, as Brenner implies. advance of technology and science has left the population there – and in much of the rest of the The proliferation of personnel and resources has world – far behind. Ironically it is becoming clear made original research a highly competitive that they will not be spared the impact of the new business, and it is clear from Errol Friedberg’s capitalism or of climate change. They may in fact lecture that competition may have been one of bear the brunt of both. Would closer contact the factors which soured the relationship between between scientists, technologists and the captains Rosalind Franklin and Watson and Crick. Leaving of corporates, and the common people provide aside the issue of why an ethical code for scientists more realistic insight into the world which the should take precedence over a code for the rich former are creating and the latter must, perforce, and powerful captains of industry, and endure? conforming to the principle that history is yesterday and the days before yesterday, it is good The medical history of the latter half of the 20 th to publish the universal ethical code in full and century and the early years of the present century juxtapose its contents to the issues raised by the will prove critical in understanding what happens Orenstein Memorial Lecture. in South Africa between now and 2050. One of the key events in the latter half of the 20 th century THE CODE was the major exodus of medical practitioners. Act with skill and care, keep skills up to date Publishing, as we do, articles about the Prevent corrupt practice and declare conflicts achievements of Wits graduates in the health of interest sciences in their countries of adoption we cannot Respect and acknowledge the work of other fail to ponder whether the loss of so many able scientists scientists is not a part of the reason for our current Ensure that research is justified and lawful disease problems. Once again the country is Minimise impacts on people, animals and the anxious about the exodus of medical practitioners environment – what is it about the way we manage things that Discuss issues science raises for society makes this a recurrent problem? Do not mislead; present evidence honestly If we want a buy-in to the principle that That says it all, very succinctly. Or does it? Edna St prevention is better than cure, and cheaper to Vincent Millay caught Neil Postman’s attention boot, then we should take the advice offered by Sir when she wrote – David King to heart. Apart from publishing the code, and stating the aim to build trust, he went Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour, rains on to stress the importance of inculcating from the sky a meteoric shower of facts. responsibilities and values in order to encourage They lie unquestioned, uncombined. researchers to reflect on the impact their work Wisdom enough to leech us of all our ill is would have on wider society. ‘We believe if every daily spun. scientist followed the code, we would improve the But there exists no loom to weave it into quality of science and remove many of the fabric. concerns society has about research.’

2 The Writing Life of James D Watson: Writing and Publishing The Double Helix

Errol C. Friedberg BSc (Witwatersrand), MBBCh (Witwatersrand), FRC Path (Lond), DSc (Med) (Witwatersrand) Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 753909-9072, USA

The A J Orenstein Memorial Lecture, Medical School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 15 August 2007

In 1953 James (better known as Jim) Watson, his most enduring together with his colleague Francis Crick (Fig professional 1), deciphered the structure of the sacred achievement, molecule DNA, 1 an achievement that ranks as Watson has often one of the great scientific discoveries of the replied: ‘My 20th century, for which they received the writing’. 4 Nobel Prize in 1962. Six years later Watson published a book about the events Watson had surrounding this episode. Entitled: The Double wanted to write Helix, 2 the book (Fig 2) was written in the so- about his called ‘non-fiction novel’ style first adventures in the popularised by Truman Capote in his Cavendish bestseller In Cold Blood .3 Like In Cold Blood , Laboratories at The Double Helix was a blockbuster that has Cambridge sold well over a million copies since its University for a Fig 2: Dust cover of the Atheneum press edition of The publication almost forty years ago. Not long time after his Double Helix. The book was surprisingly, when asked what he considers and Crick’s released more or less simultaneously in the US and famous discovery. the UK But he credits his first significant literary inspiration to the enthusiastic response he received following an after-dinner lecture presented in New York in the spring of 1962, in which he talked about solving the DNA structure – and about the many personalities involved. His manuscript first bore the provocative title Honest Jim (initially with the engaging subtitle: A Description of a Very Great Discovery ), before being transiently converted to Base Pairs , and Fig 1: Jim Watson and Francis Crick, circa 1953 finally to The Double Helix .4

3 was one of the great moments in the science of this century, I believe the argument can be made that the general public has a right to know how it all happened. Thus, I tried to write it in such a way that it could be understood by the large audience of intelligent people who would like to read something about how science occurs, but who do not have the technical competence to get thrown at them problems, like the strength and specificity of ionic bonds, etc. … Fig 3 James Watson writing (left handed) in his office at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Someday, perhaps you or Maurice [Wilkins], but if not, some graduate student in search of a Ph.D., will write a The Double Helix was written entirely by balanced scholarly historical work hand in Watson’s characteristic left-handed which takes into account all of the tiny but immaculate scrawl (Fig 3). Much of relevant facts, many discovered by me the writing was done in the country home of only after the structure came out. … the Scottish writer, poetess and social activist This was not my purpose. Naomi Mitchison, sister of the famous British biologist JBS Haldane and the mother of The controversy concerning the publication of Avrion Mitchison, one of Watson’s close The Double Helix primarily centered around friends and scientific colleagues in the fact that the book was unusually Cambridge. Watson dedicated the book to revealing about some of the personal quirks Naomi Mitchison. and foibles of the principal personalities involved, mainly the scientific group at the At the outset Watson planned his book as a Cavendish Laboratories headed by Sir story, a tale; not a scholarly historical work. Lawrence Bragg (Fig 4), of which Watson and His intention was not to produce a dry Crick were members – as well as a rival group scientific commentary that would be restricted headed by Maurice Wilkins, who were also by a rigid historical framework and would striving to solve the structure of DNA at avoid anything that could be considered as nearby King’s gossip. This he believed could be left to later College in professional historians. These sentiments London. This about the book’s purpose are explicitly group included revealed in a letter he wrote to Francis Crick Rosalind in September 1966. 5 Franklin (a female scientist I never intended to produce a technical was a distinctly volume aimed only at historians of rare occurrence science. Instead, I have always felt that in England in the story of how the interactions of me, the early 1950s, you, Maurice [Wilkins], Rosalind especially at [Franklin], [Lawrence] Bragg, Linus King’s College), Pauling, Peter Pauling, etc., finally who Watson knitted into the double helix, was a portrayed in a Fig 4: Sir Lawrence Bragg, good story which the public would enjoy particularly Director of the Cavendish Laboratories at Cambridge knowing. Moreover, since the discovery critical light. University

4 Notwithstanding the fact that The Double My aim in the title was to indicate that Helix was published long after the Victorian doubt existed about my character, not to era, indeed at the beginning of the famous proclaim that I’m telling the ‘honest’ counter-culture revolution of the 1960s, this truth. But I suspect all too many people sort of ‘tell all’ style of science writing was will see the matter wrong. considered offensive in some circles, particularly in England, and a number of In March 1966, Watson sent a draft of Honest people who read early drafts warned Watson Jim to Francis Crick, mainly for Crick’s that it was going to generate a commotion in comments about its factual accuracy. In the the scientific community. In fact, when he accompanying letter 9 Watson wrote: showed the manuscript to the chief editor of the American publishing house Houghton On the book side – I should like [it] very Mifflin, Watson was advised to hire lawyers much if you would read it soon. I have immediately. His reaction (characteristically) left a copy with John [Kendrew] to give was that ‘Houghton Mifflin was better suited you – so that I may know where you to risks in producing further editions of Roger think I’m wrong or where the emphasis Tory Peterson’s Bird Guides !’ 4 is unjust. John, Max and Hugh have read it without serious reservations. So Honest Jim was Watson’s first and most has Bragg, who took it very nicely and favoured choice for the title of his book. 4 made some factual corrections that I’ll Where did this title come from? In the incorporate into the next version. Now prologue to The Double Helix 6 Watson my hope is that after I receive your recounts a walk in the Italian Alps in the comments (I’ll be most interested to spring of 1953 with his friend and scientific know how you find I treat Maurice colleague Alfred Tissières a few weeks after the Wilkins’s role) I’ll rewrite a number of famous Nature paper describing the DNA sections and then show it to Maurice. structure was published. At the beginning of Then, obviously with some form of the walk the pair encountered an English consensus that the story is a fairly group approaching from the opposite accurate version of how I looked at the direction. The group included Willy Seeds, an problem between 1951-53, its Irish physicist and a member of the rival King’s publication must be considered. College team of crystallographers. According to Brenda Maddox’s recent biography of Thus began a lengthy and – from a historian’s Rosalind Franklin, 7 Seeds was something of a perspective – thoroughly fascinating jerk – to use a common American vulgarism – correspondence about the manuscript between and it was apparently he who gave Rosalind Watson and Crick, and between Watson, Franklin the nickname ‘Rosy’ that Watson Crick, Maurice Wilkins and others; a exploited to such great effect in his book. In correspondence that endured for about a year the prologue Watson wrote: ‘Willy soon spotted and a half from April 1966 to mid-1967. A few me, slowed down, and momentarily gave the weeks after he received Watson’s letter, Crick impression that he might remove his rucksack sent a detailed but generally polite fourteen- and chat for a while. But all he said was: page response to Watson. 10 In this epistle he “How’s honest Jim?” and quickly increasing his took issue with some of what Watson had pace, was soon below me on the path’. 6 The written. For example, Crick wrote: remainder of the prologue, and in fact the entire text of The Double Helix , contains no I … think it highly unlikely that the further reference to this remark – or to reason [Bragg] came only infrequently Watson’s interpretation of it. But he later to tea was due to anything to do with revealingly wrote to his mentor and role model me. It seems to me that this is just a Max Delbrück: 8 guess on your part.

5 To which Watson replied: 11 About the title of your book – I really do not think I can agree to it being called I most appreciated your comments on ‘Base Pairs’. I am sure you will see that my book, most of which I assume your everybody will identify the two of us as at memory is more correct on. [But] in least one of the pairs, and I do not see several cases I’m sure I’m right. Bragg why I should have a book published in himself told me that he avoided the which I am described as ‘base’. tearoom for fear of hearing your voice. Personally, I thought the title ‘Honest Jim’ an excellent one; I cannot see any Crick also quibbled with the suggested title. In reason why you should not wish to be a draft of his most recent memoir, Avoid called ‘honest’. I think you had better tell Boring People – Lessons From a Life in the Harvard University Press that I shall Science, 12 Watson wrote: be unable to give them the release for the title ‘Base Pairs’. You had better think of … He did not like the Honest Jim title, another one, or go back to ‘Honest Jim’. its implication to him being that I alone was hawking the honest truth. Up to this time, while certainly not wildly enthusiastic about Watson publishing his Not all initial reactions to the manuscript manuscript, Crick was not expressing were negative, however. Ernst Mayr, the obviously vehement opposition to the book renowned Harvard evolutionary biologist and its publication. The generally jocular (who died recently at the age of 100), was well tone of his correspondence with Watson, such known to Watson since the time that Watson as his comments about the title Base Pairs , spent summers at the Cold Spring Harbor leads one to believe that Crick was often Laboratory as a young graduate student and teasing Watson. But this was to change all too socialised with the Mayr family. Ernst Mayr soon. As publication plans gained was the father of Christa, who figures momentum, another revision of the prominently in Watson’s second memoir manuscript was forwarded to Crick – and this Genes, Girls and Gamow .13 Indeed, this book time also to several others who figured is largely about his forlorn love affair with prominently in Watson’s story, notably Christa Mayr and once carried the evocative Maurice Wilkins (Fig 5) (who recently title: A Good Fortune – A History of a Science published his own memoir entitled The Third Episode Immersed in a Love Story .4 Man of the Double Helix ), 16 John Kendrew, a senior member of Through Mayr a draft of Honest Jim was the Cavendish given to Tom Wilson, for many years the Laboratories when venerable Director of Harvard University Press Watson and Crick (HUP), who found the manuscript faulty and worked there, and possibly open to law suits, but who Peter Pauling, son nonetheless referred to it as ‘one of the few of the famous genuinely exciting manuscripts that I have chemist and read in 36 years of publishing’. 14 Within 24 political activist hours of receiving it Wilson excitedly Linus Pauling. contacted Watson, expressing his unequivocal Each of these interest in publishing the manuscript. individuals was asked to sign legal In late September 1966, Watson again wrote documents to Crick, informing him that he was now granting consent to Fig 5: Maurice Wilkins from thinking of changing the title of the book from HUP to publish the Kings College London, published a memoir called The Honest Jim to Base Pairs . Crick responded: 15 manuscript. Third Man of the Double Helix

6 On 3 October 1966, six months since the pictures of how scientific research is initiation of their correspondence, Crick once done, but I think there is sense in the again wrote to Watson, 17 this time in a much way scientific people – and academics more serious tone. generally – have tried to shield each other from vulgar gaze. With increasing Dear Jim, interest in science there is going to be I have now looked again at your book, more and more pressure to take the lid and being somewhat less harassed than off, but if the old conventions are to be when you sent me the earlier version in replaced, it is important to choose the Spring I have had time to reflect on carefully how. the whole matter. I have also discussed it with Maurice. Reluctantly, I have A week later (on 10 October 1966) Crick come to the conclusion that I cannot again wrote to Watson, 19 this time informing agree to its publication. I have two him in no uncertain terms of his objection to reasons for this. The first I have already publication of the manuscript. Watson keeps told you in outline. There is far too this letter in a private file. One can only much gossip and the intellectual speculate as to what prompted Crick to content is too low. The second reason is revise his opinion about the manuscript so that, as you know, I have very largely dramatically in a short few weeks. Watson avoided personal publicity in the last himself is not clear on this issue. He few years. If I agreed to the publication suggested 19 that when Crick talked to of your book I could no longer do this. Wilkins and heard the latter’s negative responses to the manuscript, his initial This letter from Crick was quickly followed by ambivalence, laced with humour, was now one from Maurice Wilkins. 18 converted to frank opposition. Of course the request from HUP to grant signed permission Dear Jim, to publish the manuscript certainly didn’t When I first heard you were writing help matters. ‘Honest Jim’ I was very doubtful about the desirability of its being published. I It is probably fair to state that we have here a was, however, very interested to read it classic example of a cultural clash between a and to see to what extent modification brash and somewhat boorish young American might improve it. Now, faced with the and several senior and considerably more semi-final draft and the publishers’ conservative English gentlemen. In his 3 form for signature, I have thought the October 1966 letter to Watson 17 Crick whole matter over again and find explicitly referred to the importance with myself taking the views I expressed in which he considered his personal privacy, an the beginning. issue that he felt very strongly about for much of his professional life. Indeed, Crick once To suggest that a book should be composed a reply card that he sent to suppressed is something one does not correspondents who submitted requests that like to do, but I am oppressed by in his view invaded his privacy. Requests to be thoughts of the undesirable effects of interviewed, talk on the radio, appear on publishing the book. It is, in my television and speak after dinner were opinion, unfair to me, and this has included in this list of ‘do not do’s’. Maurice made it more difficult to sort out my Wilkins too, was a rather conservative thoughts. Englishman.

I am with you in being tired of polite Science writer Matt Ridley voiced a similar covering-up and misleading inadequate opinion. ‘… What Crick really minded was,

7 as he said, the cheapening of their been shared by all of the fifty or so achievement. For all his bounce, he was a people who have so far read the final man who believed in seriousness. … He saw draft – or one of the earlier versions. himself as a dedicated seeker of great truths, About half of these people know you, who worked very hard, with long hours of and like you. None of them has reading, calculation, and intuition, to get to encouraged me not to publish, in fact, a point where he could make a great just the opposite. Exactly the same discovery; yet the world now learned about favorable impressions have come from the quest as if it had been just another soap a fairly diverse group of reasonable opera’. 20 people who are completely out of science. … Each has very strongly urged Watson lost no time in responding to Crick’s me to publish in virtually the form harsh letter of 10 October 1966. In fact he did shown to you. so the day he received it. As just mentioned, Crick’s letter is not publicly available. But I am particularly pleased that HUP Watson’s response to it provides a sense of its intends to publish it, for it confirms my general tone. More significantly, Watson’s belief that I have not turned out a low- letter 21 is historically significant, because it grade compendium of unnecessary provides first-hand insights into his own gossip. Indeed, I hope that it may be views about his manuscript in late 1966. judged as a serious literary effort, to which I can feel satisfied about having Dear Francis, devoted approximately a year in writing I am naturally disappointed in your and final preparation in a form suitable letter of October 10, 1966. Let me for publication. I feel most firmly that comment on several of the points you the book should be published soon, not raise. … I do not consider my book condemned to an underground defamatory in the slightest toward you. existence which would automatically You have a strong personality, which generate the impression that some cannot be avoided if one is to write how unprintable scandal exists, which a you do science. In the early Cambridge variety of people would like to keep days, there were people who thought quiet. I strongly believe that its you talked too much for what they publication will reveal to the world that considered your limited ability and science can be fun, and will let a small insight. But as they were all wrong, I section of the youth of this world grow cannot see what harm it does to say up hoping that they can do science in that your amazingly productive career the manner of our early Cambridge always did not have the support of days. Thus, it is my serious hope that everyone. In this you are not at all you will gentlemanly, though obviously unique, for often being successful not enthusiastically, accept its demands stating that the work and the publication and that the ugly spectacle approaches of the past are outdated. of a Crick-Watson duel will not ooze out Personally, as you know well, I almost into the public world. never could hear you speak too much, because of the creative intelligence and But things took a really serious turn when, common sense you brought to bear around the time of this correspondence, Crick upon almost everything which communicated directly with Tom Wilson of interested me. HUP and with Nathan Pusey, President of Harvard, threatening to engage lawyers. Here My view that the book is not in the is a letter that Crick wrote to Tom Wilson, on slightest defamatory towards you has 21 October 1966. 22

8 Dear Mr. Wilson, Dear Francis, I don’t think you quite understand the I am troubled very much by your hostile position. Of course Wilkins and I may reactions to “Honest Jim.” The thought have to sue Watson for libel, but apart of our long, most productive, and from that a moral issue is involved. thoroughly enjoyable friendship coming When a piece of work is published in to an unnecessary end thoroughly collaboration it is considered very bad depresses me. But you offer me no form for one author to reveal in public possibility for compromise and tell me how the work was divided. Naturally if that the book is not only a stab-in-the- all the authors consent to this it is quite back invasion of your privacy, but in acceptable. In this case, however, both bad taste and poorly written. But, as I Wilkins and I object to Watson’s think it is a good book and in no way account for reasons which any scholar harms you or your reputation, I cannot will understand. In the circumstances if bring myself to accept your request. I Watson insists on publishing his book say this with much regret for on most against our wishes the scientific occasions I have found your judgments community will look upon it as an act sensible and to the point. But at this of bad manners and bad faith, to say moment I regretfully cannot follow your the least. counsel.

Of course that is up to him. However, The many colleagues to whom Watson sent what is regrettable is that the Harvard copies of Honest Jim reads like a Who’s Who University Press should be a party to it. of molecular biology at that time. Reactions The purely literary value of the work is to the manuscript began arriving around the in fact rather low. A number of people early part of 1967, two of which merit who have read it consider it to be poorly consideration here. Watson received a lengthy written and in bad taste. It will be letter from George Klein, 25 a preeminent bought mainly because of the tittle-tattle tumour biologist at the Karolinska Institute in and the scandal. I can foresee that your Sweden, a letter that provides one of the most book-list will become known as “true fascinating written analyses of The Double Confessions.” Is that what you want? Helix by anyone, either before or after publication of the book. On 1 November 1966 Crick again wrote angrily to Watson. 23 Dear Jim, Quite frankly, I feel that the book is Dear Jim, remarkable and even unique in many The public has every right to know respects. Whether it is wise to publish it about the structure of DNA. [But] they or not, is, of course, another matter, and have no ‘right’ to know the intimate this is entirely up to you to decide. details of how it was discovered if they cannot follow the technical points One may ask whether this type of book involved and merely want to be would have the same interest if written entertained by the ‘human side’. I can by somebody who is active in science, assure you that if I had known you were possesses the necessary sensitivity and going to write the sort of book you have insight, writes well, but has not written I would never have collaborated succeeded in making any major with you. contribution to science. The answer is probably no; one major reason why this To which Watson responded equally book is of such interest is because it emphatically about three weeks later: 24 reflects the many seemingly irrelevant,

9 personal and often quite accidental the book perceive the description of factors that enter into any major their own personality and actions, as discovery. they are reflected by your own experience? I would think that a very The reverse of this question would be small number of them, those who have whether a factual and purely scientific insight, humility and modesty (very description of the events leading to the rare characteristics among creative discovery of the DNA structure, without scientists), may appreciate the book the subjective inner monologue of your even if they may feel that one small own personal experience, would have the point or another has been same value as this book. I guess, my own misunderstood or misinterpreted by you. answer would be definitely no; a mere I would expect, however, that the vast historical description of this discovery majority will be outraged and upset, would be just another academic since your frank description will not fit contribution to the history of science. the superego type of image that they There are already many such books and, like to form of themselves. Some may no matter how clarifying they may be in secretly admit that you may be right in principle, their interest is usually quite one thing or another, but at the same ephemeral, and they rapidly find their time they may also resent the fact that way to dusty upper shelves in libraries. you have noticed things which they are very keen on concealing and, even How do I perceive your description of worse, that you want to put this in your fellow scientists in this book? print. The reaction of the majority must Sharp, perceptive, very sensitive, not be therefore, unavoidably and quite very analytical, basically human and naturally, a very negative one. friendly, and yet skeptical with a great deal of mental reservations. In many Should you change the book to a major details profoundly subjective, I am sure, extent, if you get comments that are but very honestly so. Looking at it from directed by motives like the ones the outside, it gives a marvellous and mentioned above? I think that, unless hitherto probably absolutely there are some clear misunderstandings unparalleled description of the or misinterpretations of detail, trying to excitement, the frustration, the please everybody would absolutely greatness and the smallness of creative castrate the book. My opinion is that research scientists. Herein lies the the book should be essentially printed uniqueness of the book. as it is, or not at all.

How do I perceive your attitude towards I think it requires very great courage yourself? Making every effort to be and very strong motivation to publish sincere, many times a little boyish, this book. If it is published, I think it surprisingly American, profoundly will be unique for a long time to come. sensitive, immensely lonely and highly If it cannot be published, this will prove alienated. If I may make a guess, the that homo scientificus is not yet ready latter two are probably the reasons why to view himself from the outside, as an you felt you had to write this book: the object, or even try to do so, and cannot hope that written communication can use the same liberal philosophy of get through where the oral fails. science as a series of approximations, when he is describing himself, as in How do I think your fellow scientists other contexts. The emotional barrier, it and colleagues whose names appear in will have to be concluded, is just too

10 strong to be penetrated. Perhaps it are bound to be people who say that always will be. It is exhilarating and they have been caught off their guard encouraging, however, that you should by your book, and there will be some try to pierce through it. kind of controversy about that.

Another notable letter commenting on the Let me say again that I admire the book manuscript came from the late Sir John immensely and think that its Maddox, for many years the influential editor publication will be a public service. I of Nature . This letter to Watson written on 13 also think that you will have to April 1967, 26 also expressed admiration for barricade yourself in for six months or his work – and caution about its publication. so after it appears.

Dear Watson, (William Manchester was the author of Death I have read the book with the greatest of a President , a controversial book on the interest and propose reading it again late John F Kennedy, published shortly after before returning it to you. I would like his assassination.) you to regard the following as a preliminary opinion. For one thing, Watson could not have been too pleased with there is nothing in it which could be Maddox’s closing comment – even though he thought of as libellous, at least in my must surely have appreciated its mischievous opinion. Reports of the book that I have intent: ‘By the way, I would feel bound to send heard from other people led me to the book for review to Crick or Wilkins. That expect something more dodgy. I also should be fun too’. 26 find the book not merely enthralling but a valuable and sensitive account of the Meanwhile, in the hope of avoiding some of way in which interactions between the looming legal problems, Watson and Tom people can influence the course of Wilson agreed that it would be productive to important events. In other words I would tone down parts of the manuscript – without like to see it published. At the same destroying its essential intent. Joyce Lebowitz, time, it seems to me that publication a senior editor at HUP, was assigned this will entail problems of two kinds which delicate responsibility and it was she who had will affect you and not your readers. In the foresight to suggest that since Rosalind the first place, it would be unreasonable Franklin was no longer alive (having to expect that the people mentioned in tragically died of ovarian cancer in 1958 at the book would retain the same kind of the early age of thirty-seven), Watson should relationship with you after publication. consider contributing an epilogue to the book Everything will of course depend on who that examined his relationship with Franklin they are and what they are. The second from a more current perspective. Watson did problem is one of journalistic ethics. In so, stating: 27 ordinary newspaper reporting, it is considered unfair to write down what a In 1958, Rosalind Franklin died at the man says unless he knows that what he early age of thirty-seven. Since my is saying is likely to be reported. Books initial impressions of her, both scientific are different – and have been even and personal (as recorded in the early before William Manchester came along pages of this book), were often wrong, I – and I would agree with those who say want to say something here about her that just as political events are of great achievements. public importance and deserve to be described in detail, so too are scientific The edited manuscript, still called Honest Jim , events like those you describe. But there was returned to the key players for their

11 anticipated final endorsement. The involved so that the development of manuscript now included a preface by Sir ideas could be appreciated largely by Lawrence Bragg. Watson graciously informed the intelligent lay reader and fairly Bragg by letter that he would fully understand entirely by the average scientist. This it if Bragg now had a change of heart about gets over the difficulty with your book contributing a preface. But Bragg’s reply was that readers who are not specialists get completely reassuring. Watson wrote again to only a very vague notion of what it is Bragg thanking him for his continued about scientifically. support. 28 In this letter he hinted at the stress incurred by the entire situation. This Olby idea is not just a scheme concocted to obstruct you: it is what I want to say here how pleased I am that ought to be done anyway, and I can your preface will remain in my book. … only see objections to your publishing The innumerable complications which your book independently. I realize it have arisen of course, have made me would be disappointing for you, as an wonder at times whether I have bitten off author, to see your work incorporated more than I can chew. into somebody else’s, but I just don’t think your book merits independent In due course Watson received responses from publication. Wilkins and Crick to his revised manuscript. Wilkins gently but firmly continued to oppose Olby did indeed publish his own history of the the publication of Honest Jim . But most discovery of the DNA structure in a book unexpectedly, he countered with a proposal of called The Path to the Double Helix – The his own, 29 namely that Watson abandon the Discovery of DNA, 30 but of course with no idea of an independent publication and contribution from Watson. As for Crick’s consider including his entire manuscript in a response to the extensively revised formal comprehensive history of the discovery manuscript, in early April 1967 he wrote yet of the structure of DNA, to be written by another stern and lengthy letter to Watson. 31 Robert Olby, an English historian of science I reproduce here a few selected elements of the (now at the University of Pittsburgh), and less severe aspects of Crick’s disapproval. parenthetically, Crick’s authorised biographer. Dear Jim, The idea is that Olby would get tape The new version of Honest Jim is naturally recordings from Francis, me, Chargaff a little better, but my basic objections to it and everyone else, and write these up remain the same. They are: himself, and submit them to the speakers for approval. In this way, quite The book is not a history of the detailed accounts could be produced discovery of DNA, as you claim in the without each person having to write it Preface. Instead it is a fragment of your himself. I believe that your account, autobiography which covers the period alongside the others, would make when you worked on DNA. I do not see fascinating reading, and, since all of us how anybody can seriously dispute this, would be blowing off some steam, your for the following reasons: own frankness would not be so out of place as it would be if you published Crick then wrote two lengthy sections boldly your book all on its own. labeled Section I and Section II. Under Section I he included seven paragraphs labeled ‘a’ Also, Olby would prepare a proper through ‘g’, in which he embellished his view historical account from before 1900 and that the book is not a history of the discovery would explain the scientific principles of DNA. He followed this with Section II,

12 adorned with further alphabeticised being allowed to publish your book. It’s subsections. Crick ended this letter with a wretched decision, one we’re sure to several suggestions as to what specifically regret for a long time to come. … Short Watson should do with his manuscript. 31 of 10 paces at dawn, the situation at Cold Spring Harbor should I think, be I can see only two courses which you one of an icy ignoring of the presence of can honourably take. Scrap the present Francis Crick. Nonetheless, if worst book, and write a proper history of the comes to worst, give him one for me. subject. I can understand that you may not wish to do this, especially as Olby is In an article entitled A Book That Couldn’t Go planning to write such a book. Or, put to Harvard , published in February 1968, 35 the the book on one side, with instructions New York Times reported that The Harvard that it may be published either after all Crimson, the student daily newspaper at the major participants agree to it, or Harvard, stated that the episode ‘probably’ after those who object are dead. jeopardised the reputation of the Harvard University Press for ‘discriminating, In early May 1967, Tom Wilson received a independent judgment’. The article added special delivery letter on the ominous that the incident supported the view that Dr letterhead of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton Nathan Pusey, President of Harvard, was ‘less and Garrison, a prominent New York law interested in diversity of viewpoint than bland firm, stating that in the opinion of its clients tranquility’. the manuscript was defamatory and invaded their right of privacy. 32 Legal proceedings were Meanwhile, Tom Wilson decided to leave HUP promised unless Wilson sent word within the to join a New York publishing house, next few days that publication had been Atheneum Press, a move that as far as abandoned. Within a few weeks Harvard anyone knows (or admits) had nothing to do president Nathan Pusey let it be known in a with Harvard’s decision not to publish written statement: 33 Watson’s book. With Watson’s enthusiastic consent Wilson took The Double Helix with … to publish this work, despite its him and Atheneum published the American apparent considerable value, would edition of the book. In doing so, Atheneum lead to an outright quarrel in the was encouraged by a team of lawyers led by scientific world in which Harvard as a Allen Schwartz, who had previously paved the university has no business to take part. way for William Manchester to publish The Publication by Harvard would imply to Death of a President , a book on President Jack some degree an endorsement of the Kennedy, very much against the wishes of his views of Professor Watson in the face of widow Jackie. overwhelming opposition by his former associates, and it seems neither fair to Schwartz rendered an opinion that the Watson them nor in the long-range interest of manuscript was not libelous. However, he the University for Harvard to become suggested 36 that Watson should consider involved in this matter. changing the now famous opening sentence: ‘I have never seen Francis Crick in a modest No one was more disappointed than HUP. mood’, to the more innocuous and hence more Joyce Lebowitz wrote apologetically to legally defensible phrase: ‘I can’t remember Watson: 34 ever having seen Francis Crick in a modest mood’. He also recommended 36 that ‘it might Dear Jim, be well to indicate casually that Crick’s I think I want to say more formally, in preoccupation with women was not of a nature writing, how sorry I am that we’re not that led to adultery – (if that was the case)’.

13 The threatened lawsuits from Crick and Horrified to say the least, Watson immediately Wilkins evaporated. A publication on the sent a cable to Weidenfeld and Nicolson history of the Harvard University Press offers expressing his disgust with this ‘disgraceful the opinion: ‘Crick’s most passionate desire insult to Crick’, and demanding that the dust had not been to block publication per se, but jacket be replaced and all copies destroyed. ‘If to block publication backed by the prestige of necessary’, he cabled, ‘I will bring immediate a great university’. 33 legal action’. 4 Within a few days he heard back from the publisher with assurances that Watson could now finally see light at the end of all copies of this dust jacket would be the proverbial tunnel. But one more destroyed. One of these dust jackets is of excruciating and totally unexpected experience course preserved with Watson’s archives in the awaited. With production of the book set to go Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Library. in England with the publisher Weidenfeld and Nicolson, Watson received a letter from the And so The Double Helix was finally born in production manager indicating that it would print. The book was released more or less be extremely useful to have an endorsement simultaneously in the United Kingdom and from CP Snow, the famous English writer, the United States in 1968, and readers in the especially in light of Snow’s long support of the United States were treated to a preview in two popularisation of science. Watson naturally consecutive issues of the Atlantic Monthly . To had no objection to Sir Charles Snow’s name the extent that any tensions existed between being associated with his book, and the Watson and Crick at that time they were proposed dust jacket for the British edition of rapidly resolved. The recent Crick biographer The Double Helix contained the following Matt Ridley wrote: 20 statement from Snow on the front cover: 4 [Crick] was never one to bear a grudge Like nothing else in literature, it gives for long; nor was Watson. By the one the feel of how creative science summer of 1969 Watson and his new really happens. It opens a new world for wife Elizabeth were staying with the the general non-scientific reader. Cricks at the Golden Helix [The Crick abode in Cambridge]; and three years But any gratification that Watson might have after that, in August 1972, Watson and obtained from this laudatory comment by one Crick were making a television of Britain’s most respected writers was totally programme for the BBC together, nullified when he read the promotional one- revisiting old haunts in Cambridge, liners on the back of the dust jacket composed including the Eagle [a pub that the two by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 4 frequented in the 1950s]. Crick even admitted the virtues of The Double Which winner of the Nobel Prize has a Helix : voice so loud that it can actually produce a buzzing in the ears? I now appreciate how skillful Jim was, not only in making the book Who is the top Cambridge scientist who read like a detective story (several gossips over dinner about the private people have told me they were lives of women undergraduates? unable to put it down) but also by managing to include a Which eminent English biologist created surprisingly large amount of the a scandal at a costume party by science. dressing up as George Bernard Shaw and kissing all the girls behind the In a written retrospective entitled How to Live anonymity of a red scraggly beard? With a Golden Helix published in 1979, Crick

14 even manifested blatant humour and a touch some respects, led me to live in an ivory of Watsonian sarcasm in commenting: 37 tower.

No doubt it is fascinating to read just Not surprisingly, most reviews of The Double how a scientific discovery is made; the Helix were of high literary quality. But more misleading experimental data, the false than 30 years later one is astonished by the starts, the long hours spent chewing the number of commentaries that either ignored cud, the darkest hour before the dawn, Watson’s explicitly stated intention to recount and then the final run down the home the events as he saw things then, in 1951- straight to the winning post. 1953: the ideas, the people, and above all, himself, or else completely misinterpreted his And what a cast of characters! The sense of humour and his impish irreverence. Brash Young Man from the Middle West, John Lear of the Saturday Review wrote: 39 the Englishman who talks too much (and therefore must be a genius since The Double Helix is shallow and shrill – geniuses either talk all the time or say a bleak recitation of bickering and nothing at all), the older generation personal ambition too intense to leave replete with Nobel Prizes, and best of room for caring about the larger issues. all, a Liberated Woman who appears to … What worries me about The Double be unfairly treated. And in addition, Helix is the effect it may have on what bliss, some of the characters immature minds. actually quarrel, in fact almost come to blows. The reader is delighted to learn A minority of the reviews appreciated the that after all, in spite of science being so book as a literary work and stated what impossibly difficult to understand, others had already expressed to Watson in SCIENTISTS ARE HUMAN, even though private: that The Double Helix was an the word ‘human’ more accurately extraordinary departure from conventional describes the behaviour of mammals scientific reportage, and that a welcome rather than anything peculiar to our breath of fresh air now blew through the own species, such as mathematics. stuffy halls of science and scientific discovery. Surely the script must have been The late Sir Peter Medawar, writing in The written, not in heaven, but in New York Review of Books under the title Hollywood. Lucky Jim, 40 predicted that The Double Helix ‘will be an enormous success, and deserves to In his own memoir entitled: What Mad be so – a classic in the sense that it will go on Pursuit, A Personal View of Scientific being read’. Medawar was absolutely correct Discovery published in 1988, twenty years of course. As mentioned earlier, the book has after publication of The Double Helix , Crick sold well over a million copies and has been included a chapter called Books and Movies translated into more than 23 languages, About DNA , in which he wrote apologetically including Latvian and Thai. Published 35 about his initial views of Watson’s book. 38 years ago, The Double Helix endures very robustly and ranks high in the Modern I recall that when Jim was writing his Library’s list of the 100 best non-fiction books book he read a chapter to me … . I of the 20th century. found it difficult to take his account seriously. ‘Who, I asked myself, could possibly want to read stuff like this?’ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Little did I know! My years of concentration on the fascinating This article is dedicated to the late Francis problems of molecular biology had, in Crick, a formidable pioneer of molecular

15 biology. I thank my wife Rhonda Friedberg, 18. Letter from Maurice Wilkins to James Watson, 6 Keith Wharton and Nicole Kosarek for their October 1966. diligent reading of the manuscript, and 19. James D Watson, personal communication. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for 20. Ridley, M. 2006. Francis Crick – Discoverer of the permission to reproduce published Genetic Code . Harper Collins, New York, NY. material. 21. Letter from James Watson to Francis Crick, 19 October 1966. 22. Letter from Francis Crick to Tom Wilson, 21 October REFERENCES 1966. The Francis Crick Papers [http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/SC/Views/Exhibit/docum 1. Watson, JD, and Crick, FHC. 1953. A Structure for ents/doublehelix.html]. Desoxyribonucleic Acid. Nature 171: 737-738. 23. Letter from Francis Crick to James Watson, 1 2. Watson, JD. 1968. The Double Helix – A Personal November 1966. The Francis Crick Papers Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA . [http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/SC/Views/Exhibit/docum Atheneum, New York, NY. ents/doublehelix.html]. 3. Capote, T. 1965. In Cold Blood . Random House, New 24. Letter from James Watson to Francis Crick, 23 York, NY. November 1966. 4. Friedberg, EC. 2005. The Writing Life of James D 25. Letter from George Klein to James Watson, 24 Watson . Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold February 1967. Spring Harbor, NY. 26. Letter from John Maddox to James Watson, 13 April 5. Letter from James Watson to Francis Crick, 19 1967. September 1966. 27. Watson, JD. 1968. Epilogue, The Double Helix – A 6. Watson, JD. 1968. Prologue, The Double Helix – A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA . Atheneum, New York, NY. DNA . Atheneum, New York, NY. 28. Letter from James Watson to Sir Lawrence Bragg, 25 7. Maddox, B. 2002. Rosalind Franklin. The Dark Lady July 1967. of Science . Harper Collins, UK. 29. Letter from Maurice Wilkins to James Watson, 1967. 8. Letter from James Watson to Max Delbrück 30. Olby, R. 1974. The Path to the Double Helix – The (undated). Discovery of DNA . Dover Publications, UK. 9. Letter from James Watson to Francis Crick, 17 March 31. Letter from Francis Crick to James Watson, 13 April 1966. 1967. The Francis Crick Papers 10. Letter from Francis Crick to James Watson, 31 March [http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/SC/Views/Exhibit/docum 1966. ents/doublehelix.html]. 11. Letter from James Watson to Francis Crick, 10 May 32. Hall, M. 1986. Harvard University Press – A History . 1966. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. p167. 12. Watson, JD. 2007. Avoid Boring People – Lessons from 33. Ibid , p168. a Life in Science . Knopf, New York, NY. 34. Letter from Joyce Leibowitz to James Watson, 25 May 13. Watson, James D. 2001. Genes, Girls and Gamow . 1967. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 35. A Book That Couldn’t Go to Harvard , New York 14. Hall, M. 1986. Harvard University Press – A History . Times, 15 February 1968. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. p165. 36. Letter from Alan Schwartz to James Watson, 1 June 1967. 15. Letter from Francis Crick to James Watson, 27 37. Crick, F. 1979. How to Live With a Golden Helix . The September 1966. Sciences, September, 6-9. 16. Wilkins, M. 2005. The Third Man of the Double Helix 38. Crick, FHC. 1988. What Mad Pursuit – A Personal – The Autobiography of Maurice Wilkins . Oxford View of Scientific History . Basic Books, New York, NY. University Press, Oxford, UK. 39. Lear, J. 1968. Saturday Review . 16 March. 17. Letter from Francis Crick to James Watson, 3 October 40. Medawar, P. 1968. Lucky Jim, New York Review of 1966. Books . March.

16 The D’Arbela Saga: some African reflections

Professor Krishna Somers MBBCh (Witwatersrand), FRCP (Lond & Edin), FRACP, FACC, DCH (CPS, Bmy) Consultant Physician, Royal Perth Hospital, Australia (formerly Professor of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda)

INTRODUCTION ‘There are a great many German Jews who do not take part in this laudable It was the 80 th anniversary of Witwatersrand undertaking, and have completely left Medical School in August 2004. While waiting Judaism, having intermarried with around to talk to Rochelle Keene, Curator of the Christians, and who try to hide their Adler Museum of Medicine, I noticed in the Jewish origin; but they are despised by bookshelves a text, Jews in South Africa , edited both Christians and Jews. by Saron and Hotz and published by Oxford University Press in 1955. Raised as I was in The greatest speaker in the Legislative Durban, I paged to the section on Jews in Council, and the best Barrister in Durban, Durban 1 and came across a description of is Mr Escombe, of Jewish origin, and I Durban’s first synagogue from a visitor in 1884, heard many colonists say “He is clever Dr Itshak Gregory D’Arbella, physician to His because he is a Jew.” If Natal receives a Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar: Responsible Government he is pointed to as the future Premier. A great many ‘The second day after my arrival, I English and Foreign Jews are here in rambled over Durban to find some trace trade, the names displayed in their shops of a synagogue. A letter of introduction indicating who the partners are to a man to a Durban merchant, who also who knows something of Jewish names: happened to be an Israelite, put me on Emanuel, Samuels, Shapira, Weinstock, the right track. I found in Grey Street a Adler, Woolf, Pincus, Gumpelsohn, Isaacs, neat little building, very simple but very etc. There are many jewellers in Durban decent, which previously served the and Pietermaritzburg who have the Methodists as a chapel. At the back of classical names of Levi and Cohen. Many this synagogue is a cottage for the have their wives with them, and their marriage officer, as chazan, shochet , and children attend a Hebrew class held at the mohel is styled here. The next Sabbath I house of the Minister. Durban, Natal 22 nd went to see the service. There was not June 1884.’ 2 more than a minyan and all the congregation consisted of Russian and Recognising the name ‘D’Arbella’, my mind Polish Jews. The poor fellows are artisans went racing to my former student, colleague getting a living by their several and dear friend, Dr Paul George D’Arbela. In an handicrafts; they have collected some instant exchange with Paul D’Arbela, lately money among themselves and bought working as a physician in Saudi Arabia, I was the present building and are supporting able to confirm a previous impression that Dr the Minister.’ Gregory D’Arbella was indeed the grandfather of Paul D’Arbela, the variation in spelling with In the original report, Dr Gregory D’Arbela also loss of one a mere historical change. Paul l wrote: D’Arbela, born and raised in Uganda, was

17 educated at Kisubi, a residential Catholic records documented in the book of burials as school. Inspired, perhaps by knowledge of his preserved at the cemetery only start at 1927. grandfather, he enrolled in medicine at (The International Religious Freedom Report Makerere University Medical School. After 2005 issued by the US Department of State residency he trained in internal medicine and states that the Tunisian Government had joined me in the Section of Cardiology; together announced a clean up of the dilapidated Jewish we published widely on cardiological subjects. 3 cemetery in Tunis and had taken responsibility His achievements both as an academic, a for lawn upkeep.) clinician and a senior staff member at Makerere University were bypassed in the early years of the Amin Government that followed the 1971 THE RUSSIAN YEARS military coup in Uganda. Understandably, he resigned to seek a career elsewhere, initially in Given the variations in the spelling of his private consulting practice with visiting original and changed family name, Dr attachment as a physician to Nsambya D’Arbela will henceforth be described by his Franciscan Hospital in Kampala and afterwards more familiar name, Dr Gregory D’Arbela. as a consultant physician in Saudi Arabia. Archival material dated between 1887 and 1891 in the Ministry of External Affairs of the then Imperial Russia, and made available to a BUT WHO WAS DR GREGORY Milanese author, professional columnist and D’ARBELLA? researcher, Dr Lino Pellegrini, via the Italian Embassy in Moscow in 1988, 6 identifies Dr In the Russian Jewish Encyclopaedia, which Gregory D’Arbela with the first names of comprises data from the first settlement of Jews in Russia to the present day, he is listed as Itshak (Isaac) D’Arabella, also known as Amchislavsky, 4 spelt elsewhere as Amcislavskij, Amcislevsky, Antshilavsky, Amtschivsky, Ametzeslevsky and Amchislevoko, born in Kremenchug, Postava (Poltava) in the Ukraine. According to Tidhar 5 in records traced from the Hebrew by Attorney Schmuel Shamir and Dr Shalom Bronstein of the Israel Genealogical Society, his father Jakov Judkov Amcislavskij, a merchant, was a member of the Chabad (Lubavitch) Hasidic group and an enlightened individual. His birth date was 20 August 1847. A copy of his Décès , the French version of his death certificate, records him as Gregory D’Arbela spelt with one , Doctor of Medicine, l and described as the son of Giacomo D’Arbela (originally Jakov Amcislavskij) and Helene (Elena) Warschowsky ( Varsciavskaia ) (Fig. 1). According to legend his death was sudden, presumably of a heart attack, in Tunis. The exact date of his death as noted in the Décès was 24 June 1911. A close neighbour and medical colleague recorded his demise at the Tunis Council. The specific site of his grave in Fig 1: Copy of Décès (Death Certificate) of Dr Gregory the cemetery of Borgel in Tunis is unknown for D’Arbela

18 Michail, also spelt Michel, and Gregori, with We learn from family anecdotes that Dr variation of spelling as Gregor-ev and Grigori, Gregory D’Arbela was in attendance on the as one-time citizen of Turkey, 180cm tall and Savoyard, King Umberto I (1844-1900) of Italy, Israelite by religion. Confusingly, it is stated in in the Swiss resort of Montreux, the region at the Russian Archives that he was born in that time subject to the princes of Savoy (now in Kishinew (in modern day Moldavia). He was the Swiss Canton of Vaud). The resort was also educated in the traditional hedar (one room frequented by the Russian Imperial family. (The elementary school) and yeshiva and Countess Anny Andrássy wife of Hungarian transferred to a Russian gymnasium (high- statesman, Count Julius Andrássy, reported to grade school in preparation for university) in her parents in Hungary: ‘One meets a good the south of Russia. He was admitted to the class of people here, quite unlike those in the Society of Merchants, a kind of guild sanatoria at home or in the Tatra (mountains): composed mostly of Jews, in Poltava in July even a few Maharajas.’) 7 1864, with his name spelt as Isaak Amcisiawski; his admission was reconfirmed He was treating a White Russian noble, Fiodor in 1872 as indicated in the archival material Lukianov, who was suffering from pulmonary in Moscow. He took his medical education at tuberculosis, and he the Academy of Medicine and Surgery in St met and eloped Petersburg between September 1865 and with Sophia, the December 1870 and completed his medical daughter of studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. In spite of Lukianov (Fig. 2), being a Jew, a brilliant future was predicted who herself for him as a scientist in Russia. developed and subsequently died He served as an army medical officer in the of tuberculosis in rank of subaltern in the Russian campaign South Africa. that captured Tashkent in Turkistan, Central Sophia Lukianov Asia, in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-8, was non-Jewish and waged by Russia to gain access to the had been raised in Mediterranean Sea and to liberate the Slav the Orthodox Fig 2: Sophia Gregory (née Lukianov), wife of Dr Gregory peoples in the Turkish-ruled Ottoman Empire. Church. (D’Arbela) He served under the command of a General Zimmerman in Dobrugia, the territory between the Danube and the Black Sea, in the ZANZIBAR AND THE CHANGE OF 17 th Regiment of the Dragoons (Cavalry). He NAME travelled on to Varna (in modern-day Bulgaria), but he deserted from the Russian After the formality of marriage which took army in 1878. He was possibly expelled, but it place in Alexandria (Egypt), Dr Gregory is more likely that he left the army because of D’Arbela, overwhelmed by wanderlust, the anti-Jewish pogroms in Russia and also in travelled to the Hejaz (northwest of present day fear of persecution on account of his previous Saudi Arabia and the site of Islam’s holy activity in the Nihilist Movement that had places) which, together with Egypt and been gaining popularity in 19 th century Palestine, formed part of a continuous but Russia. He travelled via Switzerland and declining Ottoman Empire (1299-1917). He was England, and spent a sojourn in the United said to have been head-hunted by an emissary States working in Panama where there had of Sultan Barghash of Zanzibar and been an outbreak of cholera. On his return to subsequently came to be employed by the Switzerland he clearly achieved prestigious Sultan. He fitted the role because he had patronage in taking care of upper-class neither English nor German connections. patients with tuberculosis. Representatives of both England and Germany

19 had been pressurising the Sultan in their aims letter to the Jewish Chronicle in London, to take possession of the Sultan’s dominions on describing the second day after his arrival in the East African coast. Arising out of his Durban, was dated 22 June 1884, 9 by which extensive travels and war-time activities, Dr time his name had expanded to Dr I Gregory Gregory D’Arbela was said to have had D’Arbela. It seems that he stayed over in command of 12 languages including English, Durban for at least three months as judged no mean achievement at the time. He was from the dates of his correspondence with the obviously fluent in English as indicated in his Jewish Chronicle . (I am grateful to David Saks, letters. Additionally he was skilled in Arabic. It historian at the Jewish Board of Deputies in was during his working career in Zanzibar that Johannesburg, for copying to me the D’Arbela he changed his family name of Amcislevsky to correspondence published in the Jewish D’Arbela (D’Arbella) as described in the Chronicle , London.) translation of Theodor Herzl’s diaries. 8 And what might have inspired the acquisition Why would he have changed his name to of the name, D’Arbela? He is said to have Gregory D’Arbela? He had been appointed researched the history of Jews in Spain and Envoy of Italy representing the King of Italy changed the family name to D’Arbel(l)a and Italian interests in Zanzibar and the East because he discovered that he was of Sephardic African littoral. It is thought that the Italian descent. 5 Conveniently, the name D’Arbela had monarch, in offering him Italian nationality an Italian flavour. It is also thought that he and diplomatic status, had discussed with him was mindful of the decisive victory of a change of name that sounded Italian and Alexander the Great of Macedonia (356-323 fitted his adopted nationality. Additionally, BC) who defeated Darius III of Persia in 331 BC there was pressure applied on him to become a in the Battle of Guagamela, also inaccurately Catholic. His second name, Gregory, sounded called the Battle of Arbela. 10 (Supposedly, the attractive and neutral. (There had been a total Battle of Guagamela was held near a hill in the of 16 Popes between 590 and 1846 who had form of a camel’s hump, hence the name: Tel taken on the name Gregory, starting off with Gomel or Tel Gahmal, or ‘Mount Camel’ in Gregory 1, Saint Gregory, also known as Hebrew. Arbela (modern-day Arbil) is east of Gregory the Great after whom the plain-song Mosul in northern Iraq.) ritual music of the Gregorian chant is named, Based in Durban he wrote the letter dated 22 and the first Pope to employ the title Pontifex June 1884 copied earlier in this article 9 and a Maximus, and including Gregory XIII who further letter to the Editor of the Jewish gave us the Gregorian calendar in 1582.) Chronicle in London. In his universality Dr Initially Dr Amcislevsky was simply known as Gregrory D’Arbela wrote: Dr Gregory; D’Arbela was added afterwards. ‘Sir,

THE VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA Having settled for some time in Durban, and having made the acquaintance of His wife, known as Sophia Gregory, took ill the leading men of the Durban Jewish with tuberculosis and required to be sent to Congregation all in business here, I was South Africa for treatment. She died in October very glad to find so much attachment to 1883. We need to presume that Dr Gregory our religious doctrines and Mosaic Laws. (D’Arbela), preoccupied at a critical time with As an example of what could be done by matters of state, had stayed on in Zanzibar a handful of right-minded men, let me during Sophia Gregory’s sojourn in South tell you the story of the development of Africa. It is clear that Dr Gregory (D’Arbela) did the Jewish congregation in Durban. To not sail to South Africa until the year following form a congregation in Durban was not the death of Sophia Gregory. Indeed, his first an easy step, taking into consideration

20 the small number of our brethren I reserve for another letter the financial residing here. More praise is due to the situation of this community, as I intend to courageous gentlemen, whose names become a member of the same, and by so should flourish in the annals of Judaism. doing will acquire a right to have a clear insight into the finances of the The Jewish inhabitants of Durban, congregation. feeling the necessity to perform their religious rites in accordance with the Yours obediently, Jewish law, and to pray in common, I. GREGORY D.’ARBELLA, M.D. called a meeting on the 19 th August, PHYSICIAN TO 1883, and passed a resolution to form a DURBAN PORT NATAL. H.H. THE SULTAN Jewish congregation in Durban. In AUGUST 12 TH 1884. 11 OF ZANZIBAR.’ conformity with the resolution passed, Messrs H. Heller, I. Granger, D. Jacobs, with B. Lipinsky as Chairman, and M.H. We might ask what caused Dr Itshak Gregory Emanuel, Honorary Secretary, formed D’Arbela to write to the Jewish Chronicle in themselves into a Committee to collect London. Dr D’Arbela, as Envoy of Imperial Italy funds by annual subscriptions towards in Zanzibar and Zanzibari dominions, was the support of a synagogue and accustomed to writing despatches to the Italian maintenance of a minister, embracing Government in Rome. So it would have seemed the offices of Chazan Shochet Mohel and appropriate, at the time of visiting the British Teacher of Hebrew. Crown Colony of Natal, to address the Jewish Chronicle in London, regarded since its From the subscription list, which I founding in 1841 as the most influential Jewish forward on printed specimen, you will periodical in England. judge yourself how warmly our co- religionists have answered the laudable As an aside, the synagogue described by Dr call of the Committee. Gregory D’Arbela was located in the lower end of Grey Street. The original siting of the first In this time of religious indifferentism, synagogue in Durban was convenient to the when you meet Jews who prefer to call Jewish families which largely resided within themselves Agnostics, and many other walking distance at The Point and around names, only to escape to be known as Albert Park. The lower end of the same Grey Jews, the case of Durban Jews is a very Street was renamed Broad Street by the all- refreshing one, and augurs a prosperous white Durban Municipal Council in 1935 in future to the community. response to public outcry against Indian South Africans for Grey Street had developed They have bought a building, formerly a unacceptably into a predominantly Indian Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, now area. 12 converted into a synagogue, where their religious services are held regularly on Sabbaths and Holidays. The synagogue THE ENVOY AT LARGE serves, too, as a school for Jewish children, instructed in Hebrew by the Rev. What else do we know about Dr Gregory Mr. Weinstock. The Jewish congregation D’Arbela? His working years spanned two is presided over by Mr B. Lipinsky, a decades, the 1880s and the 1890s, between respected merchant in Durban; the Zanzibar and Jerusalem. I am indebted to marriage officer and treasurer is Mr. M.H. Margherita Mowbray-D’Arbela, granddaughter Emanuel, who has one of the best of Dr Gregory D’Arbela, and latterly resident in jeweller’s businesses in Natal. Canberra, Australia, for providing me access to

21 copies of documents regarding her grandfather’s treaty on 27 February 1885. By August 1885, career that she managed to retrieve from travels Germany also acquired the ports of Dar es to regions familiar to Dr Gregory D’Arbela and Salaam and Pangani, later to be incorporated from family papers. One of the documents into German East Africa (now separated as notes that he sent money by letter of credit to the independent countries of Rwanda, his young niece in Russia on 5 May 1885 using Burundi and Tanzania), and subsequently his original Russian name Jakov Amcislavskij. 6 recognised as German territory by the Anglo- German Treaty of 28 October 1886. By Dr Gregory November 1886 a joint Anglo-German D’Arbela had boundary commission drew a line to Mount influential Kilimanjaro, the mountain favourably ceded connections in to Germany, and to Lake Victoria, British to Zanzibar in his the north and German to the South. (The line capacity as remains to this day the border between Kenya personal physician and Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro included in to His Highness Tanzania as a bump in the straight border.) Sultan Sayyid Barghash bin Said Despite the agreement, friction between GCMG (1837-1888) Britain and Germany in Zanzibar continued (Fig. 3) and as in 1887. The German authorities in the

Italian Envoy at a Fig 3: His Highness Sayyid person of the German Consul, Arendt, time of intense Barghash bin Said GCMG, campaigned against the Acting British Sultan of Zanzibar c1865 as British-German recorded in the Kodak Consul-General Holmwood who was removed rivalry that had Collection/Science and Society from his post in response to vehement Picture Gallery 10428904 been progressing (with permission). A great complaints from Berlin. 14 to vehement benefactor to his people, he was described as ‘Harun antagonism. High Rashid of the Busaidis’ after During his stay in Zanzibar Dr Gregory the great Caliph of Bagdad. imperialist Sultan Barghash reigned from D’Arbela had aroused the ire of the German intrigue, British 1870 to 1888. Consul in Zanzibar because of his influence and German, had over Sultan Barghash. Arendt, the German reached the East African region in the late Consul, alerted the German Embassy in St 19 th century. Britain had staked protectorate Petersburg, the Imperial Russian capital, to status to Mombasa in 1824. In 1837, a fleet seek out information on the person of Dr from Zanzibar took Mombasa which it Gregory D’Arbela who had been recognised regarded as its own and Mombasa was made as having a Russian background. The request part of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. During the was tendered by the German Embassy to the early 1880s Germany joined other European Ministry of External Affairs in St Petersburg powers in the ‘Scramble for Africa’, thanks to on 10 July 1885. As Russia had no interest in the unfettered control that Otto von Bismarck, colonising Africa, details of his educational the Iron Chancellor, exercised over the and military career were readily provided in German government’s policies. 13 German a succession of documents made available to colonial representatives craftily made treaties the German Embassy in despatches during at the end of 1884 with African chiefs within the course of 1887. The dossier was revealed the dominions of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. In in translation into Italian to Dr Lino 1884 the Gessellschaft fur Deutshe Pellegrini via the Italian Embassy in Moscow Kolonisation (Society for German in 1988. 6 We cannot fail to note, with sense Colonisation) despatched Karl Jühlle to set up of irony, that early in 1885 the Italian commercial settlements on the East African warship, Barbarigo, had unexpectedly coast and annexed territory that had been in arrived in the harbour of Zanzibar. Sultan the dominion of Zanzibar by an enforced Barghash was on the verandah of his palace

22 in the company of Dr Gregory D’Arbela who identified the flagship as Italian. The Italian commander, Matteo Fecarotta, was one of two Italian plenipotentiaries on board charged with stimulating a friendship and trade treaty. The treaty with Italy was signed on 28 May 1885 and subsequently ratified in Rome. With an Italian envoy in the person of Dr Gregory D’Arbela in the Court, Zanzibar became entangled in the aspirations of yet another colonising power in the ‘Scramble for Africa’.

As a trusted confidante of the Sultan of Zanzibar and Chief Physician to the Sultan’s armed forces, Dr Gregory D’Arbela was able, during the visit to Zanzibar of the Italian Plenipotentiary, Fecarotta, to secure from Sultan Barghash concessions for Italy at Chisimaio at the mouth of the Juba River in modern-day Somalia. Recently unified Italy was content to stake sovereignty wherever it could do so without confronting the more powerful imperial powers, Britain and Germany. Italy colonised Benadir (Benaadir), the coastal region of modern day Somalia, which had long been a tenuous dominion of Zanzibar. (Sadly, by the turn of the 20 th Fig 4: Part of copy of transcript of letter written in Arabic on 19 December 1886 for Sultan Barghash and held in century, the Somali peninsula, one of the Zanzibar Archives relating to the political machinations of the German Consul and addressed to the Agent of the most culturally homogenous regions of Africa British Government, Mr Frederick Holmwood. Margherita was divided between British Somaliland, Mowbray-D’Arbela obtained this copy on a visit to Zanzibar in 1999. French Somaliland, Italian Somaliland and Ethiopian Somaliland [the Ogaden]; the effects of colonial administration are still felt Dec. 19. 1886 in the lawlessness and political chaos of From the Sultan Somalia.) Italian influence in Somaliland was To painstakingly slow owing to the lack of Our Friend Mr (Frederick) Holmwood enthusiasm in the Italian parliament for The Agent of the British Government overseas possessions. 15 A.C.

A letter originally written in Arabic in 1886 We have several times informed you of the and copied from Archives in Zanzibar in 1999 messages which had been sent to us by (Fig. 4), fittingly suggests a role for Dr Gregory the German Consul: that the men-of-war D’Arbela as political witness in the heady of the German Government would days of gun-boat diplomacy in the British- bombard our towns and would seize our German carve-up of the Sultanate of Zanzibar territory. The message of some days ago, and its dominions. We take note, in however, we felt ashamed to tell you translation, of the following submission plainly about. It was sent by the German relating to the Anglo-German treaty of 28 Consul when he received the orders about October 1886: the Agreement and was as follows:

23 When we received the telegram to make was no need for such useless messages the Agreement which was to be together and that no profit could come of them. between England and Germany we sent Dr Gregory to Mohammed Bin Salim to And when we were told by Mohammed say that we had received an order from Bin Salim about all this, he remained his ( the German ) Government by completely silent regarding it, for we were telegraph and that England now had ashamed even at the mention of such a thrown over our friendship and had subject.’ agreed with Germany to divide our Country as he had before told us that they In response, Holmwood, the British Agent, would do and that he, the German assured Sultan Barghash not to fear German Consul, was ashamed to speak about the bombardment. Frederick Holmwood had been agreement which had been made between sent to serve as Vice-Consul to Sir John Kirk, Germany and England to take our Scottish doctor, companion of Livingstone and country by force. The Consul said that Consul at Zanzibar. Holmwood took all the steps now what he would propose to the Sultan he reasonably could to promote British was that we should throw over the Imperialism in East Africa in the 1880s. He was friendship of England and place himself aware of the dangers to British interests in East under the protection of Germany and that Africa posed by rival European powers. 14 It was if we would do this he would promise us Frederick Holmwood who wrote on 12 March that the humiliation which England 1870 to Sir Bartle Frere, President of the Royal intended should not happen to us, and Geographical Society, narrating the last journey that, instead, increase in our trade and and death of Dr David Livingstone. 16 honour to us would be the result. Holmwood, an Anti-Slavery crusader, died in Zanzibar. A model neighbourhood, in a 10 year Our Secretary, Mohammed Bin Salim, development plan (1946-1955) was named for when he heard these words was too him on the island of Zanzibar. ashamed to tell us about the matter, he answered to Dr Gregory: Sultan Barghash, overindulged by the British, had enabled Dr D’Arbela to play a role of third ‘I, the servant of the Sultan, cannot repeat party when Imperial Germany had been making such words, it would be useless to mention overtures and threats to Zanzibar. The letter them to him, for I have several times quoted earlier from the Sultan to the Agent of the heard the Sultan say: British Government attests his role. Let us take our minds to the scenario in the Court of “Do not listen to anything against Zanzibar as likely witnessed by Dr Gregory England, for her friendship has continued D’Arbela. The reality of European expansion in since 70 years or more and that Mr the 16 th century had seen the arrival of the Holmwood has now informed us that Portuguese crusaders in the name of Christianity England and Germany have agreed that and commerce. The Portuguese introduced a they have to arrange our interests for us in military force but at the end of the 17 th century, a manner which shall be best for the Swahili forces and their Omani rulers expelled safety of our kingdom; and yet, the Portuguese and extended their dominions notwithstanding this, the German Consul from the horn of Africa down the East African is able to speak such words.” coast to as far as contemporary Mozambique and the Comoros. In the 19 th century Zanzibar Mohammed ( Bin Salim ) further said to Dr became so prosperous that the Ruler of Oman, Gregory that England had always been Sayyid Sa’id bin Sultan (1804-1856) transferred friends of the Sultan, that the German his capital in 1832 from Muscat in Oman to the Consul was also a friend and that there erstwhile Colony of Oman, encouraging trade

24 with British India and offering protection to the British intervention that led to the subjugation of ubiquitous Indian traders and financiers in the Sultanate and the dismantling of the Muscat and Zanzibar. Zanzibar became capital dominions of Zanzibar. of an Afro-Arab dynasty, a centre of international diplomacy and commerce, a seat of learning led While in Zanzibar Dr D’Arbela had arranged on by itinerant Ulema (Muslim scholars) and a behalf of King Umberto I of Italy (1878-1900) an gateway to Africa. Through its portals passed not Italian expedition into the hinterland to the only slaves, spices and ivory but also Mountains of the Moon (Ruwenzori) in Uganda, missionaries, explorers and conquerors. 17 traditionally described by Ptolemy in the 2 nd century and later reported by Sir Henry Stanley Sultan Barghash, who ruled between 1870 and in 1890. The Italian expedition which ultimately 1888, signed an agreement with the British took place in 1906, a few years after Dr D’Arbela abolishing the slave trade in his kingdom and had left Zanzibar, was led by Luigi Amedeo closing the slave market at Mkunazini. Giuseppe Maria Ferdinando Francesco, Duca Ironically, Barghash had previously been exiled D’Abruzzi 19 (1873-1933), son of the then King by the British to Bombay (Mumbai) after his Amadeus of Spain and nephew of King Umberto failed rebellion against his brother. On his I. With an established reputation as a world restoration to the Sultanate of Zanzibar he went famous mountaineer, Abruzzi reached the top of about building palaces and public facilities. His many unclimbed peaks, 16 in all, in the greatest bequest to his people was the supply of Ruwenzori. He named the highest peaks of fresh water. He had earlier been described as Ruwenzori ‘Margherita’ and ‘Alexandra’ after ‘Harun Rashid of the Bu Saidis’ after the great Regina Margherita of Savoy (1851-1926), the Caliph of Baghdad. 18 As history would have it, Queen of Italy and mother of King Vittorio Sultan Barghash had refused British Protectorate Emanuel III, and Alexandra, her youngest sister. status in 1877. He was thwarted by the British in His party produced the first maps of the an attempt to seek a German Protectorate in Ruwenzori and reported on the flora, geology 1880. Ultimately, he had been forced to accept and glaciology of the area. the Anglo-German Treaty on 7 December 1886 and the Sultan’s domains on the East African The Duke of Abruzzi is well remembered in Italy. mainland were divided between the two imperial Having climbed the Alps, Alaska, the Arctic, the powers, German East Africa comprising Ruwenzori and the Karakoram in Northern Tanganyika with Zanzibar and Pemba and India, he turned his attention after the end of British East Africa the coastal area of Kenya, World War I to Somalia, recently conquered and leased from the Sultan of Zanzibar as a British divided between the British and the Italians, in protectorate for 50 years, enabling the Imperial an agricultural enterprise using forced labour. British East Africa Company to open the He developed prostate cancer and he died just hinterland for British trade. In a second treaty of after his 60 th birthday in his villa in a settlement 1 July 1890, Count Caprivi de Capara de between the Shabeli and Juba rivers, named for Montecuculi, who had succeeded Otto von him Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi , near Bismarck as Imperial German Chancellor, Mogadishu. He never married. An American concluded an agreement with Britain ceding family visited his village in 1985. His plantation, Germany’s protectorate over the islands of now state-owned, was again using forced labour. Zanzibar and Pemba and also its claims over the His villa had remained intact and on a table Kingdom of Buganda (part of modern-day stood the bust of a lovely Somali woman, Uganda) in exchange for the island of Faduma Ali, who was with him when he died. Heligoland in the North Sea and the Caprivi strip (named for Count Caprivi), linking German His Savoy lineage lost the Italian throne when South-West Africa with the Zambezi River, and the Italian Republic came to be in 1946 but the mandated to South Africa after Germany lost duke’s name appears everywhere in hotels, World War I (now part of Namibia). It was streets and restaurants in Italy.

25 SOPHIA D’ARBELA THE JERUSALEM YEARS

As mentioned earlier Sophia D’Arbela, wife of Why might Dr Gregory D'Arbela have left Gregory D’Arbela, took ill with tuberculosis and Zanzibar? He had felt frustrated as aggressive was sent to South Africa for treatment. At the British and German imperialism had triumphed time, Bloemfontein, in the Orange Free State, and his efforts on behalf of Italian Imperial design was recognised as a medical centre famous for had been stultified. His decision to leave Zanzibar its curative air. She died aged 28 years, alone but for the company of her attendants, on 22 October 1883 and was buried in what is currently called ‘The President’s Acre’. Dr Gregory D’Arbela arranged for a headstone with obelisk to be placed on the grave. The stonework was made in Durban by D Green on instructions from Zanzibar and transported to Bloemfontein. The gravestone describes her as Sophia Gregory (Fig. 5). Martinus Theunis Steyn (1957–1916), the last President of the Orange Free State, and Nicholas Johannes Diederichs (1903–1978), former President of the Republic of South Africa, are also buried in the same cemetery. President Diederichs is remembered as one of the founders of the Afrikaner Nationalist Movement which led to the enforcement of apartheid, the policy of white supremacy based on legislated discrimination against non-whites. In February 2003, having fortuitously met someone who was able to locate the cemetery for her, Margherita Mowbray-D’Arbela visited the gravesite in Bloemfontein, the first and only relative to have paid respects there in 120 years.

Fig 5: The headstone over the grave of Sophia Gregory Fig 6: Dr Itzhak Gregory D’Arbela in the uniform of Chief of (D’Arbela) who died in Bloemfontein on 22 October 1883 the Zanzibar Government Medical Service taken by A aged 28 years and was buried in the President’s Acre. The Gherardi in Jerusalem. The leopard skins allude to his African photograph was taken by Margherita Mowbray-D’Arbela connection. The origin of the medals and decorations have not in February 2003. been identified.

26 would have been well-reasoned. He travelled out He had a magnificent house. He belonged to the via Rome to Paris in 1886. The Chief Rabbi circle of the journalist, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, and introduced him to Baron Edmund de Rothschild, he enjoyed a prestigious position in society. His the patron of the new Jewish settlements in Eretz house was a meeting place for diplomats from Yisrael (Palestine/Land of Israel), then part of the various countries. He was active in purchasing Ottoman Empire. Baron Rothschild recognised Dr land for Jewish D'Arbela as a gifted individual and recommended settlements, such as him for the position of physician of the colonies at Segera in Lower Rishon le-Zion and Ekron as successor to Dr Galilee, and was Menachem Stein. He already had an elder elected president of brother, Lev Jadko, an agriculturist in Palestine. Safaa B’rura There was little cause for him to return to (language Zanzibar. His patron, Sultan Barghash had died. association) which Sultan Sayyid Khalifa bin Said (born 1852, ruled later became the 1888-1890) who succeeded his brother Sultan Academy of the Barghash rejected the previous relationship forged Hebrew Language between Zanzibar and Italy and entered into a (Dr Shemuel treaty with Karl Peters and his Deutsch- Nissan: personal Fig 7: Theodur Herzl, the Ostafrikanischen Gessellschaft (German East communication). visionary of Zionism. Africa Company) granting them rights to collect duties and taxes along the coast of Tanganyika. 15 He composed a Hebrew-Spanish dictionary and he wrote a study of Sephardic Jewry originating in Eventually Dr Gregory D'Arbela arrived in Spain. He was eloquent as a raconteur , describing Jerusalem in 1888. As a doctor with his good his various adventures in far-off lands, and looks and noble appearance, Dr Gregory became known as ‘ mysterioso ’. In 1892 he D'Arbela made an excellent impression on all donated a portion of his personal library to the who came in contact with him (Fig. 6). I am group that created the first National Library of grateful to Attorney Schmuel Shamir and Dr Israel. He visited Vienna as recorded in a diary Shalom Bronstein, honourable members of the entry dated 20 February 1897 by Theodor Israel Genealogical Society, for their research and (Binyamin Ze’ev) Herzl (1860-1904), the visionary verification of records in Hebrew pertaining to of Zionism (Great Britain in 1898 had proposed to the career of Dr Gregory D'Arbela in Palestine. Herzl a Jewish autonomous region in East Africa, The agents of Baron Rothschild respected him in Uganda. A formal offer through its Secretary of and presented him with a field and vineyard. At State for the Colonies, Joseph Chamberlain, was the end of the first year he was invited to become presented to the Sixth Zionist Congress in 1903. director, in succession to Dr Schwartz of Ingrov, The Congress split into two opposing factions, who had resigned, of the first Jewish Hospital, delegates from Central and Western Europe Mayer Rothschild Hospital, an institution which approving the plan as temporary refuge for Jews had been set up in 1854 in the old city of in Russia and those from Eastern Europe opposing Jerusalem and opened by Albert Cohen, the it as betrayal of the Zionist cause. Eventually the representative of the Rothschild family. Uganda proposal was rejected by the Zionist Jerusalem’s Rothschild Hospital merged in the movement in 1905 in favour of the ultimate aim 1920s with Hadassah Hospital which was called of Zionism, a Jewish entity in the Land of Israel), the Rothschild Hadassah Hospital and first President of the World Zionist Organisation subsequently the Rothschild University Hospital. (Fig. 7), who wrote as follows: The building of the original Rothschild Hospital still stands in the centre of Jerusalem on Rechov ‘Yesterday Dr. D’Arbela from Jerusalem Haneviim (Street of the Prophets) and serves as came to see me. He is the director of the Hadassah’s Vocational School (Professor Shlomo Rothschild hospitals. An interesting person Stern: personal communication). who looks like a cavalry colonel – tall, bold

27 nose, moustache, energetic chin. He told institution of charity established in the 15 th me wonderful things about Palestine, century for the purpose of collecting alms for the which is said to be a magnificent country, support of religious Jews living in Jerusalem and and about our Jews from Asia. in the three other Holy Cities of Palestine (Safed, Tiberias and Hebron) to enable them to dedicate Kurdish, Persian, Indian Jews come to his themselves to the study of the Talmud. office. Strange: there are Jewish Negroes who come from India. They are the Dr D’Arbela was not quite precise in describing descendants of slaves who were in the the Indian Jews as Negroes. Certain Jewish service of the expelled Jews and adopted groups in India are of a dark skin e.g. the Bene the faith of their masters. Israel in Mumbai, but they belong together with Indian peoples to the Caucasian, rather than the In Palestine one sees not only Jewish Negroid ethnic stock. agricultural workers and day laborers of all kinds, but Mountain Jews and Jews Dr Gregory D’Arbela married a second time, in from the steppes who have a bellicose air. Jerusalem, one Maliah, also known as Malvina, Schwartz (1863-1950), a Hungarian Jew of noble We are popular among the Arabs and ancestry from the family of Dr Schwartz. He sired Kurds. Quarreling Arabs occasionally go to three sons from the second marriage. a Jew rather than to a Turkish judge to have their disputes settled. In a dispatch dated 30 September 1891 from the Consul-General of Imperial Russia in Palestine to All Palestine talks about our nationalist the Embassy of Russia in the Imperial Ottoman plan. After all, we are the hereditary lords Capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul), of the land. The Turkish occupation forces D’Arbela was described as a person of interest. of Jerusalem are weak at present – about The report clearly identified him as the son of 600 men. Iakov Amchilevsky, confirmed that he had studied in Russia for 20 years and that he had Even now the Jews constitute the majority eschewed Russian nationality and had been of Jerusalem’s inhabitants, if I understood seeking diplomatic status as Consul, making D’Arbela aright. We spoke so quickly and applications to Italy, Austria, Hungary and about so many things that I did not even France. Rebuffed by both Italy and Austria, he go more closely into this point. was eventually appointed Vice Consul for the Netherlands in Palestine but otherwise he We shall make a note of this splendid man remained a Jewish citizen of Palestine. 6 for future assignments. Extraordinarily, the Turkish Government bestowed on him a decoration, The Majeda of I told him that at the Zionist Convention the Third Degree, in 1899, in recognition of his in Zurich at the end of August I shall also distinguished career, as described by his uncle, put the question of the Haluka on the the historian and scholar, David Yellin. 5 agenda. The Haluka shall be changed to assistance par le travail [public works]. D’Arbela will work up a report about THE REMAINING YEARS conditions up to the present, make proposals, and get together a committee in Leaving Palestine in 1903, he gave in to his Palestine for the reorganization of the wanderlust and migrated to Palermo in Sicily Haluka.’ 20 where he tried to establish a clinic. After the earthquake he became impoverished and Haluka, a Hebrew term, literally means moved with his family to Tunis where he ‘distribution’; Haluka is the name of an adjusted himself to a new career. His three

28 sons, meanwhile, Although he had intended to return to the land attended University of Judah he languished for several months after in Florence. his return to Tunis. It was a neighbour who Although born and recorded his demise on 24 June 1911 at 0930 raised Jewish, Dr hours. Margherita Mowbray-D’Arbela visited Gregory D’Arbela Tunis in 2004 where she obtained transcript of was said to have his death certificate. Dr Gregory D’Arbela’s death felt obliged to certificate spelt his name as D’Arbela, Doctor of become a de facto Medicine, with the second in his name, for the l Catholic on first time, dropped. returning to live in Italy. According to His three sons from the second marriage, all born family folklore he in Jerusalem, became distinguished men of and his three sons letters and science. Edmondo became Professor of from his second Classics at the Liceo Parini in Milan. It was his marriage remained former student, Dr Lino Pellegrini, who retrieved secretly Ebrei Fig 8: The building at 42 in 1988 via another student of Professor (Jewish). He lived Avenue Jules Perry (later Edmondo D’Arbela, Sergio Romano, then Italian renamed Avenue Habib and practised at 42 Bourguiba) in Tunis where Dr Ambassador in Moscow, Italian language Gregory D’Arbela practised Avenue Jules Ferry, medicine. His office at street translations of the previously confidential later renamed level is now a restaurant. His diplomatic dispatches provided by the Russian living quarters where he died Avenue Habib were in the same building. The Ministry of External Affairs between 1887 and Bourguiba after the photograph was taken by 1891 to the German Embassy in Moscow on the Margherita Mowbray D’Arbela first Tunisian on a visit to Tunis in 2004. background and career of Dr Gregory D’Arbela. 6 President (Fig. 8). In Professor Edmondo D’Arbela (1892-1985) never this street were the married; he was a prolific author; his main chief hotels and cafés, the casino-theatre, the writings were commentaries in Italian of the principal banks and the finest shops. The clinic Latin texts of Virgil’s Aeneid ( Vergilio Eneide ) and where Dr Gregory D’Arbela worked now the Greek text of Homer’s Odyssey ( l’Odissea di functions as a restaurant. His apartment where Omero ). He was also co-author of a standard he died was in the same building. The Latin/Italian dictionary. 22 population of Tunis at census of 1906 was returned at 227 519 of whom Tunisian Jews Felice D’Arbela (1895-1974) became University numbered 50 000. Professor of Medicine and Superintendent of the Civil Hospital in Venice. He published numerous In less than a year he had earned respect as a research papers, especially between 1921 and successful physician. Little more is known about 1930, in the Italian medical literature, his his working career in Tunis. Like his material covering cardiology, gastroenterology, contemporaneous British Agent, Sir Richard hepatology, Mediterranean fever and laboratory Francis Burton (1821-1890), famous for his medicine. 23 Felice D’Arbela clandestinely helped translations of the Arabian Nights , who also Jews escape from Italy during the Mussolini years. began his journey in Zanzibar, 21 Dr Gregory He fathered twin daughters Valeria and Serena. D’Arbela was fascinated with adventure and the Valeria died in 2000; Serena lives on in Rome. culture of Islam. Like Burton, he readily adopted Arabic customs, and he travelled in disguise as a Alfredo (1898-1977), an engineer, devised in pilgrim to Mecca during Ramadan in 1910. It is 1938 a new type of electric locomotive with thought that he took ill at the feast of Id at the greater versatility than previous models and end of Ramadan and that he suffered food revolutionised Italian railroad traffic. He was poisoning. Perhaps he was recognised as an based in Florence and died childless; he was the impostor and poisoned. only son who chose to be cremated.

29 The three D’Arbela sons concealed their Jewish meteorological observations. The British did not background during the years 1922 onwards after know what to do with the internees after the end Mussolini’s fascists had taken over Italy, quietly of World War II and he was moved to Norton, adjusting to the challenges of fascism followed Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He did not by communist rule in Italy. Edmondo and Felice receive his documents of release until 1947. obligingly served in the Italian army in the Unfortunately he had lost almost all his property Alpine Campaigns in World War II. The three during his internment, and he never received D’Arbela sons used to hold a monthly reunion any compensation. He moved to Dar es Salaam for themselves alone in Florence, their original in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in the same year. University city, Edmondo travelling from Milan For a while in 1951, as sole proprietor, he ran a and Felice travelling from Venice to Florence. tin mine in the Kigagati district, near Mbarara and the border country of Uganda and Rwanda. He established a base in Kampala in 1952. In his SIGNOR GREGORY D’ARBELA latter years in the 1960s Signor Gregory D’Arbela operated a long-distance truck transport business In his first marriage Dr Gregory D’Arbela sired known as Uganda Roadways. two children, Sophia, with additional name Rachel, and Gregory D’Arbela, both born in the Signor Gregory C D’Arbela sired three Italo- palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar. Signor Gregory Ugandan children: Anna Maria in 1930 and D’Arbela, who was born on 15 June 1881, had a Margherita in 1933 with Juliana Nanyanzi, and first name, Nicolas, afterwards Cola, a Paulo (Paul) in 1934 with Margaret Nassuna. diminutive of the Russian name, and for the Anna Maria, afterwards Mrs Coutinho, raised a purpose of paperwork in English speaking family in Kampala; one of her daughters countries, Coleman or in Italian, Colomanno. He graduated with a medical degree. Margherita, was received into the Catholic Church in the supported and fostered during the years of Private Chapel of Saint Antonio in Padova internment of her father by European expatriates (Padua) on 24 June 1908. After the death of his residing in Uganda at the time, travelled to the father in Tunis, Signor Gregory C D’Arbela, now United Kingdom. She joined the Royal Air Force, aged 30 years, settled his stepmother Malvina met her future husband in the Force and raised a with the three half-brothers, in Italy. He set sail family of four, including a set of twins. After her from Genova (Genoa) for East Africa in 1912 to divorce she migrated to Australia, choosing seek his fortune as a planter, prospector, and Canberra because the school system there miner, travelling between Karagwe in the appealed to her. Dr Bukoba district of Tanganyika (now Tanzania) Paul George and Uganda. He provided funds for the D’Arbela educational advancement of his three half- progressed in his brothers in Italy. His sister, Sophia junior, development and married at an early age into an Hungarian his career as family. described at the start of this paper After the outbreak of World War II Signor (Fig. 9). He married D’Arbela was interned between 1941 and 1944 Maliya Mulira, as an enemy alien which was the case of many daugher of a noble prominent Italians, nobles and Catholic clergy Ugandan family; alike in Southern and East African countries. He their children are was kept in a camp in South Africa at mostly in the Fig 9: Dr Paul George Koffiefontein in the Orange Free State, barely United States of D’Arbela, grandson of Dr Gregory D’Arbela, one-time 100km from Bloemfontein, the city where his America, one of Professor of Medicine at mother Sophia Gregory lay buried. He spent his them already in Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda taken in confinement meticulously recording postgraduate the late 1980s.

30 medical training. In dramatic irony, Paul and published a series of articles between 1986 D’Arbela, later in his career, also worked in Hejaz and 1989 on the D’Arbelas in Il Giornale , a (Saudi Arabia) which is where his grandfather, Milan daily newspaper, and Liberta in Piacenza Dr Gregory D’Arbela, was in transit some 130 for readership of the Italian public. 24,25,26,27 Some years previously. of the matter described in this text has been extracted from the columns written by Pellegrini. Signor Gregory D’Arbela wrote and published extensively for an Italian readership using the On 14 February 1999, Melissa Mowbray-D’Arbela, word ‘Africus’ as pseudonym. 15 As his physician, twin of Marc Mowbray-D’Arbela, a law graduate I took care of Signor Gregory D’Arbela when he but later established as an independent financial was admitted to Mulago Hospital in Kampala consultant, and Mark Machin, a medical doctor following a myocardial infarction. Born in but with career change to merchant banking, Zanzibar on 15 June 1881, he died at the age of both working in Hong Kong, chose to be married 91 years at the home of his son Dr Paul D’Arbela in Zanzibar as tribute to the ancestral Dr Itzhak on 27 June 1972. I wrote the death certificate. Gregory D’Arbela. Melissa, an Australian, and Mark, as British, had to settle in Zanzibar for two weeks in order to qualify as ‘residents’ for the THE D’ARBELA DYNASTY purpose of a marriage licence. Guests flew in from AFTERWARDS Italy, Australia and Hong Kong; the junior wife of Signor Gregory D’Arbela, Juliana Nanyanzi, In 1984, Marc Mowbray-d’Arbela, great-grandson mother of Margherita Mowbray-D’Arbela, turned of Dr Itshak Gregory D’Arbela, then a young 90 years, came across from Uganda. The civil student at Hawker College in Canberra, together wedding was overseen by the Zanzibar with a friend, Ben Butler, wrote a rock musical, Commissioner and held in the old dispensary by Alexander , the plot originally due to the the harbour, now converted into an international coincidence of the surname, ‘D’Arbela’, to the place hotel, the Serena, where it is to be presumed Dr of Alexander’s greatest battle. Alexander was Itzhak Gregory D’Arbela had once practised. entered as a competitor in the Festival of Australian Drama, and won an award for production excellence. A law graduate, he now works for the ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Department of Finance and Administration in the Federal Government of Australia. This paper was inspired by Ms Rochelle Keene, Curator of the Adler Museum of Medicine. I am In 1985, at the time of a visit to view the grateful to Mr David Saks, historian of the Jewish apartment of Alfredo D’Arbela in Florence, Board of Deputies, Johannesburg and Reverend Margherita Mowbray-D’Arbela answered an Brian Lurie of the Great Synagogue, Durban for incoming call from Professor Anna Maria providing reference material and for the Mazzari-Tonietti, a former student of Professor introduction to Ms Ruth Monk, Secretary of Edmondo D’Arbela. The talk on the telephone led Council of KwaZulu-Natal Jewry and the Durban to an introduction to Dr Lino Pelligrini, author United Hebrew Congregation. Mrs Margherita and columnist, and former student of the Mowbray-D’Arbela made available documents classicist, Professor Edmondo D’Arbela. In 1988, and memorabilia regarding Dr Gregory D’Arbela as cited earlier, Pelligrini was able, via another and his descendants. Mrs Nellie Somers of the ex-student of Professor Edmondo D’Arbela, Sergio Killie Campbell Africana Library of the Romano, Italian Ambassador in Moscow, to have University of KwaZulu-Natal checked material released and translated into Italian archival on the early history of Durban. Dr Lino Pellegrini papers in the Russian Ministry of External Affairs (bless him in his 90s) of Milan sent me copies of concerning the early career in Russia of Dr I his publications in the Italian media on the Gregory D’Arbela. 6 In awe of the achievements of Professors D’Arbela. Attorney Schmuel Shamir the second D’Arbela generation, Pelligrini wrote and Dr Shalom Bronstein of the Israel

31 Genealogical Society provided research data 11. D’Arbella IG. 1884. Letter to the Editor, Jewish Chronicle , from Hebrew language records on Dr Gregory London. 10 October. p5. D’Arbela. Additional material was researched by 12. McIntyre J. 1956. Origin of Durban Street Names. WE Professor Shemuel Nissan from Israeli archives. Robertson, Durban. p19. 13. Eyck E. 1964. Bismarck and the German Empire. New York, In Perth, Western Australia, Dr Guiseppe Panizza WW Norton and Company. helped in the translation of material in the 14. De Groot E. 1953. Great Britain and Germany in Zanzibar. Italian language. Professor Barry Walters Consul Holmwood’s Papers, 1886-1887. The Journal of accessed historical titles published in Hebrew. Modern History, 25(2): 120-138. The Library staff of Royal Perth Hospital, 15. D’Arbela G. (as pseudonym Africus). 1904. Alcune pagine di especially Ms Alex Petrie and Mr Martin Curry, Storia Zanzibarese. Estrato del L’Italia Coloniale. Perchè il patiently searched for material related to this Benadir fu ceduto a Italia . (A few pages of the story of paper. Reverend Father David McAuliffe of the Zanzibar. Extract of Colonial Italy. Therefore the Benadir was Liberal Catholic Church searched for material on ceded to Italy.) Revista Mensile Anno V o. No 9-10 11 Jewry in Tunis. Mrs Janet Abraham and Mrs November- December. Roma, Direttore Giacomo Gobbi- Annette Curtis cheerfully and uncomplainingly Belcredi. typed a succession of drafts. The Department of 16. Holmwood F. 1873-1874. Majwara’s Account of the Last Medical Illustration at the Royal Perth Hospital Journey and Death of Dr Livingstone. Proceedings of the Royal expertly and kindly copied the illustrations. Geographical Society of London: 18(3): 244-246. 17. Sheriff A. 1995. In Historical Zanzibar. Romance of the Ages. REFERENCES HSP Publications, London. 18. Sheriff A, Jafferji J. 2001. Zanzibar Stone Town. An 1. Saron G, Hotz L. Eds. 1955. Jews in South Africa. A History. architectural exploration. Gallery Publications, Zanzibar. Oxford University Press, Cape Town. p339. 19. Bridges J. 2006. A Prince of Climbers, the Virginia Quarterly 2. Durban United Hebrew Congregation. Centenary 100 years Review (on line). 1884-1994. Souvenir Brochure. p53. 20. The Complete Diaries of Theodur Herzl. 1960. Edited by 3. Somers K, D’Arbela PG. 1967 to 1977. Publications on Raphael Patai, translated by Harry Zohn. Herzl Press and Endomyocardial Fibrosis and other subjects in international Thomas Yoseloff, New York. Vol 2. p516-7. medical journals. 21. Ondaatje C. 1966. Sindh Revisited: a journey in the foot steps 4. Rosskaya Evreiskaya Entisiclopediya (Russian Jewish of Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton: 1842-1849. The India Encyclopedia). 1995. First Edition translated by Josif and Years. Toronto, Harper Collins. Vitaly Charny. Moscow. Entry Number 2150. 22. D’Arbela Edmondo, Annaratone A, Camelli L. 1954. 5. Tidhar D. 1971. Encylopedia Lechaluts Hayishuv Uvanav: Vocabulario Latino-e Italiano Italiano-Latino . (Latin-Italian Demuyot Utemunot (Encyclopedia of Pioneers and Builders of and Italian-Latin Dictonary). Milan, Carlo Signorelli SA. the Yishuv) in Hebrew. Volume 7. Sifriyat Rishonim, Tel Aviv. 23. D’Arbela, Felice. 1921-1930. Monographs on various medical 6. Pellegrini L. 1988. Letters and documents in the Ministry of subjects. Florence, Di Carpigiani e di Zipoli. External Affairs of the USSR concerning Dr Gregory D’Arbela, 24. Pellegrini L. 1986. Veniva dalla steppa ucraina il professore 1887 to 1891, released to the Embassy of Italy, Moscow. Item chi inspirò a Buzzati. II deserto dei Tartari (He came from the Number 001443. Steppes of Ukraine, the deserter from the Tartars, the Professor 7. Dormandy T. 1999. In: The White Death. A History of (who) was inspiration to Buzzati.) Il Giornale, Milan. 1 Tuberculosis. Hamledon, London. p156. August. 8. The Complete Diaries of Theodur Herzl. 1960. Edited by 25. Pellegrini L. 1989. D’Arbela, lo spauracchio del ‘Parini’ . Raphael Patai, translated by Harry Zohn. Herzl Press and ([Edmondo] D’Arbela, the scarecrow (bogeyman) of Parini Thomas Yoselcoff, New York. 5: p1695. [University].) Liberta, Piacenza. 19 March. 9. D’Arbella I G. 1884. Letter to the Editor, Jewish Chronicle , 26. Pellegrini L. 1989. Era un ebreo russo il padre di D’Arbela . London. 18 July. p12. (The father of [Edmondo] D’Arbela was a Russian Jew.) Il 10. De Sanctis, M G. 2001. At the Crossroads of Conquest. Giornale, Milano. 22 March. Alexander the Great, his military, his strategy at the Battle of 27. Pellegrini L. 1989. Un medico russo aprì all’ Italia le porte Guagamela and his defeat of Darius making Alexander the dell’Africa (A Russian doctor opens the door of Africa to Italy.) King of Kings. Military Heritage. 3 (3): 46-55, 97. Liberta, Piacenza. 25 March.

32 Adventures in the Golden Age of Molecular Biology

Errol C Friedberg BSc, MBBCh (Witwatersrand), FRCPath (Lond.), DSc (Med) (Witwatersrand) Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

It is all too rare that scientists working in a in scholarly aspirations. My father was an particular discipline or field of scientific ardent reader and passed this trait to both endeavor have the good fortune to do so my older sister Pearl and me. I have fond during a time of spectacular progress, a memories of weekly visits to the public library period marked by such rapid and with my father. My sister, a trained extravagant gains in our understanding of elocutionist and English teacher at the King the natural world, that one can David High School in Johannesburg, read unequivocally identify it as a ‘golden age’. voraciously. The discipline of theoretic physics experienced such hallowed times during the I found my way into the world of molecular early decades of the 20 th century. The period biology through a series of unpredictable and between the mid-1950s and the end of that unforeseen events. With the approaching end century witnessed another scientific golden of my high school education, pursued in the age – one in biology. Those of us who have small gold mining town of Klerksdorp in the lived through and participated in this former Western Transvaal, my aging parents astonishing era, metaphorically if not reluctantly informed me that they were literally rubbing shoulders with the likes of uncertain about their ability to sustain the James Watson, Francis Crick and Sydney financial burden of a university education. Brenner, to name just a few of the giants who This news was not especially alarming since I graced the fields of molecular biology and was well aware of their limited financial molecular medicine, are truly fortunate. Who resources. Additionally, several close friends knows when the next such age will transpire? with whom I shared my teenage years in It may take decades or even centuries before Klerksdorp had entered the pharmacy we fully unlock the mysteries of human profession and I had more or less passively cognition, memory, intellect and the complex decided that I would follow suit. So I recall no world of emotion. particular disappointment or regret about my parents’ revelation and elected not to apply My parents (early 20 th century Jewish to any university programme. But when my immigrants to South Africa from Lithuania high school matriculation results were and Latvia) inculcated in me a strong belief announced in December 1954, events

33 initiated by my mother (a woman imbued educational tracks shared an identical with considerable ambition and drive) curriculum during the first two years at Wits prompted a dramatic turn in my career path. (with the exception of the additional burden of dental mechanics for dental students). My father was then away on a coastal Following the advice of some of my physician holiday and my mother (with reluctant brother-in-law's colleagues who were well assistance from me) was in charge of my connected to the world of academic medicine father's general store; an entity that catered to in Johannesburg, I switched to the Faculty of Africans who mined gold from the rich reefs Science after my second year of university near Klerksdorp. Having noted that I had education, with the explicit intention of achieved a first class pass with a distinction in reapplying to medical school once I had history, my mother summarily and garnered the BSc degree. unilaterally decided that I must pursue a profession more distinguished than In retrospect that year was pivotal to my pharmacy. I have limited recollection of future and laid the foundation for my exactly how subsequent events rapidly subsequent commitment to biomedical unfolded, but the fact is that with logistical research. During that year and its attendant assistance from my older sister and her exposure to the world of research in biology physician husband, who resided in and medicine taught by the likes of the Johannesburg, my mother submitted young and enormously enthusiastic Phillip applications to the schools of medicine and Tobias, together with Dan Goldstein, Joe dentistry at Wits well after the application Gillman, Christine Gilbert and others, I fell deadlines had passed. The medical school deeply in love with biological research. I also refused to consider a late application. But the thrived on the camaraderie and intellectual dental school acceded and I was summarily stimulation afforded by a marvellous group dispatched to Johannesburg in early 1955 to of student colleagues that included Peter live with my sister and brother-in-law (thus Arnold, Lawrence Geffen, Martin Bobrow and sparing my parents the additional financial Clive Rosendorff, all of whom went on to burden of supporting my day-to-day living outstanding careers in biomedicine. expenses) and to attend dental school at Wits. But a shock was in store for me. At the Early in my second year of study I made the conclusion of my science year my application first of several crucial personal decisions to medical school was declined. I appealed about my future. Notably, my somewhat this decision, but the dean of the medical desultory exposure to dental mechanics led school (who shall remain nameless in this me to the firm conclusion that I would make piece) was unsympathetic to my plight. a lousy dentist. This conclusion was Despite my protestations that I was now reinforced by hearsay that dentists suffered a firmly bent on an academic career, he high suicide rate among professionals, suggested that I either return to dental school presumably reflecting the considerable or find some other livelihood! Once again, boredom often associated with this influential supporters led the charge on my livelihood. These nuances, aided and abetted behalf and the dean's decision was rescinded by my increasing fascination with the worlds (a fact that prompted me to subsequently of anatomy, histology, biochemistry and have as little contact with him as possible). physiology learned in my second year of I was a medical student at last, graduating in study, prompted an intense desire to be a 1961 with a class that included the physician rather than a dentist. redoubtable Arthur Rubenstein, now Executive Vice President of the University of Switching from dental to medical school was Pennsylvania Health System and Dean of the no trivial matter, despite the fact that the two School of Medicine. Arthur garnered

34 essentially every medical student prize, sojourn in the United States for residency allowing me to sneak away with the Edward training in pathology at Case Western Cluver and Hannah and Nochem Freed Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Memorial Prizes in Preventive Medicine. I arrived in Cleveland in the winter of 1965. I didn't immediately appreciate just how Cutting-edge research in biology was profoundly my year of exposure to basic pervasive at Case and its affiliated hospitals research had influenced me. But this and in short order I found myself devoting recognition began to surface when, as a nights and weekends to learning electron house officer at the King Edward VIII Hospital microscopy (then a new and exciting research in Durban, I came to the inescapable tool) under the tutelage of Richard (Dick) conclusion that I really had little interest in Stenger, while simultaneously continuing my clinical medicine. So I decided to pursue the studies on the juxtaglomerular apparatus of study of pathology instead. As a registrar in the kidney. Winfield Morgan, Chief of the pathology at Wits my interests increasingly Department of Pathology at the Cleveland gravitated from diagnostic work to research Metropolitan Hospital had recruited Stenger and I began devoting more and more time specifically to mount ultrastructure research. and effort to small research projects of my A Harvard-trained pathologist with a strong own choosing, efforts that were supported research orientation, Morgan quickly noted and encouraged by the late ‘Bunny’ Becker, my interest in research and urged me to then head of the Department of Pathology. interrupt (or even abandon) my training as a None of these projects were earth-shattering pathologist to pursue formal study at in their scope or significance, for I largely graduate school in biochemistry – or even deployed histological techniques and special better – in physical chemistry. stains I had learned during my training as a science student, copying methodologies from My appetite for a return to the formality of the literature as needed. But I well remember the classroom was modest at best. Nor did I my excitement at receiving the news trust that I had the necessary background to sometime in 1964 that a piece of my original compete successfully in an American research, on the distribution of the graduate school programme. Instead, juxtaglomerular granules and the macula knowing essentially nothing about densa in the renal cortex of the mouse, was biochemistry and having never conducted a accepted for publication in the scholarly biochemical experiment in my life, after a American journal Laboratory Investigation – year of pathology training I secured a post- without revision! doctoral position in the Department of Biochemistry at Case Western Reserve under Another important influence on my future David Goldthwait, a nucleic acid biochemist came from my association with Michael who had recently returned from a Berger, a former medical school classmate, a triumphant sabbatical leave with Francois fellow pathology registrar and a close Jacob and Jacques Monod (both of whom personal friend. Michael aspired to become a subsequently won Nobel Prizes) in Paris, clinical pathologist and as such had a strong France. David was himself a physician turned biochemical orientation. It was he who biochemist and to my considerable gratitude awakened me to the exciting events in the and relief he was infinitely patient with his world of cutting-edge biology, especially the young and biochemically naïve new elucidation of the DNA structure and the postdoctoral fellow. Aided by several senior early studies on the genetic code. Michael members of Goldthwait's burgeoning had decided to pursue a PhD degree through laboratory, I began to navigate my way a graduate programme at the University of through the labyrinths of nucleic acid Minnesota and I was soon planning my own biochemistry and within a year or so

35 thoughts of returning to the life of a prompted an intense interest in pathologist-in-training were replaced by ones understanding the molecular mechanisms by of further postdoctoral training in which our genomes survive the ravages of biochemistry with Cy Levinthal at the DNA damage, an interest that I pursued for California Institute of Technology (CalTech). the remainder of my professional life. I spent a gratifying 18-year period in the While these plans were maturing Dave Department of Pathology at Stanford, where I Goldthwait informed me that David Korn, a was surrounded by a rich community of scientific colleague at the National Institute outstanding nucleic acid biochemists and of Health (NIH) was moving to Stanford biologists, including Philip Hanawalt in the University to assume the chairmanship of the Department of Biological Sciences, and the Department of Pathology, and was keen to Nobel laureates Arthur Kornberg and Paul identify young research-oriented faculty Berg, together with Robert (Bob) I Lehman, in members with backgrounds in both nucleic the Department of Biochemistry, not to acid biochemistry and pathology. I visited mention a wealth of superb graduate Korn at his NIH laboratory and was pleased students and post-doctoral fellows who (and surprised) to receive an invitation to populated numerous academic departments join his new faculty at Stanford. at Stanford Medical School.

My planned arrival at Stanford in 1969 was In the early 1970s the fundamental elements rudely interrupted by an unexpected and of DNA replication and transcription were unwelcome summons from the United States well understood. However, precious little was Selective Service, which drafted me into the US known about the way(s) by which cells cope Army for a 2-year period of service during the with the ravages of DNA damage and the height of the Vietnam War. In retrospect, this attendant consequences of mutation and cell unplanned hiatus turned out to be a blessing death. In particular I was aware that in disguise. Following basic training at a individuals suffering from the rare human military facility in San Antonio, Texas I was hereditary disease xeroderma pigmentosum assigned to the Walter Reed Army Institute for (XP), a disease characterised by a profound Research (WRAIR) in Washington DC, where I susceptibility to skin cancer following was provided with a small laboratory and exposure to sunlight, were defective in some other resources essential to mounting a aspect of DNA repair, a set of biological research programme. I was ably assisted by a responses by which damage to our genomes bright young graduate student, delighted to is healed. As a faculty member in a find himself conducting experiments in a pathology department, this marriage of research laboratory rather than slogging molecular biology and human disease through the jungles of Vietnam. seemed ideal for further study and I set about trying to isolate (by molecular cloning) and In early 1971 I finally began my academic characterise genes that are defective in XP career as an assistant professor of pathology individuals. Human gene cloning was then in at Stanford. The two years of research its infancy and after considerable reflection experience garnered at WRAIR were and reading of the literature I elected to sufficiently robust that I was able to garner deploy the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as grant support from the NIH and other a eukaryotic model system. This turned out to funding agencies at a time when funds for be an inspired choice, leading to the rapid basic biomedical research were difficult to isolation and characterisation of multiple come by. DNA repair genes, many of which were subsequently shown to be conserved in the My introduction to nucleic acid biochemistry human genome – and to be mutated in XP in David Goldthwait’s laboratory had individuals. This adventure contributed much

36 to our present understanding of DNA repair nurture my newest passion: writing on the in mammals, and subsequently, through a history of science. collaboration with the recent Noble Laureate Roger Kornberg at Stanford, (Nobel Laureate As I reflect on my 36-year career as a scientist Arthur Kornberg's son), to the demonstration and educator I have a sense of profound of a fundamental relationship between DNA gratitude for the opportunity and good repair and transcription, the process by which fortune to navigate the frontiers of molecular the genetic code embodied in DNA is biology during an extraordinarily productive transcribed to messenger RNA. period in the history of science – a genuine golden age of biology. I am of course grateful In the late 1980s I was invited to assume the to my mother for her courage in deviating chairmanship of the pathology department my plans at a time when it seemed likely that at a young but rapidly ascending medical I would aspire to little more than being a school in Dallas, Texas: the University of pharmacist. Nor will I ever forget the halcyon Texas Southwestern Medical School. Thus days at Wits, the true birthplace of my ensued a gut-wrenching decision that I will academic career as a scientist – and science not elaborate on here. It suffices to state that writer. Returning to this institution in 2002 to notwithstanding my deep affection for the renew old acquaintances and to receive an California bay area and the intellectual honorary degree in medicine was a highlight stimulation of Stanford University, I elected to I will always treasure. Now writing an move to Dallas in the summer of 1990 to authorised biography of Nobel Laureate continue my research programme in DNA Sydney Brenner, indisputably one of South repair, to face the challenges of building an Africa's greatest scientists, is a satisfying academic department with a strong emphasis completion of a circle of events that began in on modern investigative pathology, and to and returns to this magnificent country.

37 From the Curator’s desk: Walking on eggs or, the curate’s egg Rochelle Keene

We are often asked: but specific exhibits or what do museum curators temporary displays and actually do? One sharing our research by definition explains that way of exhibitions and the word curate comes publications with visitors from the Latin curare : to to the museum and other care, ‘one who has the interested parties. care and superintendence of something, especially Our research is not, one in charge of a however, confined to the museum, zoo or other collection as we place of exhibit’. In a large museum with many staff, constantly need to produce new exhibitions and a curator is usually charged with the responsibility of refresh old ones with current information. a particular collection, for example a curator of 20 th century prints in an art museum. In this case the This then is what we do, along with managing the curator will be a subject specialist and the museum financial side of the museum, fund raising, will have several subject specialists building up the answering public enquiries, hosting functions, specific collection, conducting research on it and arranging lectures and events, answering the conceptualising displays or exhibitions of that telephone, typing and filing our own particular section of the collection. There will also be correspondence, editing this and other publications, specifically trained conservators looking after the making tea and many other things. physical state of the collection and taking restorative action where necessary and registrars who will ensure Which brings us to the strange title of this that the collection is properly and fully documented communication: Walking on eggs or, the curate’s and recorded. The term curator is used even more egg . We were interested to read about the derivation widely and people in charge of certain divisions of this expression and gather that it means within museums are called curators. So we read of something that is partly good and partly bad but as Curator of Exhibitions, Curator of Education Services a result is entirely spoilt. The phrase derives from a and so on. cartoon published in Punch on 9 November 1895. The French-born British cartoonist and author, In small museums such as this one, the curator George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (1834- performs all these jobs, starting with the core 1896), drew a cartoon of a timid-looking curate functions of the museum which are to collect, (church minister, same derivation as curator) eating research, preserve, interpret and exhibit. With a breakfast at his bishop’s house. The bishop says: small but focused and experienced staff, we share ‘I’m afraid you’ve got a bad egg, Mr Jones’, to which much of the decision-making. We are therefore the curate replies, not wanting to offend the bishop: collectively responsible for additions to the collection ‘Oh no, my Lord, I assure you parts of it are (acquisitions), the physical care and documentation excellent!’. 1 of what we already have and what we presently collect, research based on the collection, the display What does this have to do with curating a museum? or exhibition of the collection and the educational Everything! There are most certainly good and bad side of things: conducting tours of the museum or of parts of museums and their collections. Fortunately,

38 the museum, unlike the egg, is not spoilt by the bad Cavell Street, and when three flats were overflowing parts – if these can be properly managed! The good the collection was taken to the then South African parts redeem the egg (collection) and can be Institute for Medical Research which generously separated from the rotten parts which can be housed the Museum for many years. disposed of. Purists would argue that everything in a museum’s collection is important. However, most The present premises are much smaller than the museum curators would like to be museum curates Director’s house in the SAIMR grounds in which the and dispose of the rotten parts of the egg. Museum was established, and the huge storerooms were more than adequate to house the burgeoning When the collection was built up by Drs Cyril and collection. Like the curate’s egg, it had good and bad Esther Adler, there was no collecting policy (or even parts… museum!) in place. Heather Lang, their daughter, recalls how her parents collected items of medical We have previously written about our interest from the early 1960s. Cyril Adler clearly deaccessioning process which seems to have collected everything and anything which came his consumed our efforts for many years now! This way, aided and abetted by Esther. Like a true process is still ongoing and with it the collection is collector, he could not stop! The excitement becoming a coherent, well managed resource. The generated by each new acquisition was contagious. bad parts are being carefully and systematically The collection was stored initially in the Adlers’ removed, and the good parts will do its founders, home and at Cyril’s rooms, and soon could no Drs Cyril and Esther Adler, proud. longer be accommodated there, it having grown so much. The collection was then moved to a flat in Safine Court, owned by the University, situated next REFERENCES to the then new Medical School building in Edith 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curate’s_egg.

OBITUARY: Pierre Jaques

Pierre Henri Jaques (1928 – 2007), the son of Swiss being in a wheelchair to using crutches and finally missionaries, was born at Elim Hospital in the then to being able to walk unaided, albeit with the Northern Transvaal. Both his grandparents had characteristic limp many people remember him by. been Swiss missionaries in the area. He later married his childhood friend, Rachel Bertrand- The next few years saw him studying surgery in the Jaques, also the daughter of missionaries. United Kingdom before returning to Elim Hospital to take up the post of Medical Officer. He took over as There are few left among rural doctors who come Superintendent from his uncle and mentor, Dr Jean from mission stock and have lived through all the Rosset, in 1964 and remained as Senior changes over the last 50 years. Many of Pierre’s Superintendent and Senior Specialist in Family experiences are recorded in his writings so that we Medicine until his retirement in 1993. His stay at can share these with him in years to come. He was a Elim spanned the years of transition from Mission true rural generalist of the kind South Africa still Hospital to Homeland Hospital falling under needs but has, sadly, very few left. Gazankulu, to Rural Hospital under the Limpopo Provincial Department of Health. These were often He matriculated at King Edward VII School in challenging years complicated by staff shortages, Johannesburg, and went on to study medicine at limited budgets and bureaucratic changes. The the University of the Witwatersrand, where he doctors who were recruited mainly from Europe at graduated in 1952. Despite contracting polio while the time still speak very highly of their experiences in his first year at university, which left him at Elim under his tuition. The hospital grew to be the significantly disabled, he fought his way back from largest facility north of Pretoria, encompassing 660

39 beds with specialist ophthalmic services, a nurses Pierre was a tireless advocate for rural health and training college and 22 district clinics. The system of the role of the rural doctor in South Africa. He was a ‘community care groups’ was pioneered during his mentor and role model for many doctors in South stay along with Dr Erica Sutter. This system has now Africa and beyond. His care and concern, as well as gained world wide acceptance as a method of his sense of humour and enthusiasm, will long be extending health care in rural communities. These remembered. care groups revolutionised the ophthalmic and other care in their community and inspired many across I first met him when taking some MEDUNSA South Africa to follow in their steps. students to Elim for a rural hospital experience and we immediately struck up a friendship. Yes, he had Pierre spoke Tsonga very well and was able to work a limp but was fiercely independent and felt very with patients from every culture in the area. He had strongly about fairness towards patients and rural great respect for people and applied his rich cultural doctors and would confront any one on their behalf. knowledge in his practice of medicine. He would go to great lengths even in retirement to expose the gross over-servicing and billing of Besides his hospital duties, Pierre also served as patients in the city of Johannesburg for simple family practitioner to many families in the area. He procedures made complex by meddlesome doctors. would often point proudly to people in the community and say: ‘That’s one of my babies!’ His We enjoyed working together on research projects. passion was family medicine; he furthered his Perhaps the highlight of our doing things together studies on a part time basis and obtained a Masters was traveling with him. We went to Mozambique Degree in Family Medicine (MMedDom) from the for research. On numerous occasions we journeyed University of Pretoria. He also obtained Diplomas in to the then Northern Province and also to the Public Health (DPH) and in Tropical Medicine and Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting rural Hygiene (DTM & H) from the University of the doctors doing the Master’s Degree in Family Witwatersrand. Medicine by distance education. His input in the small group discussions made a big impact on all of Pierre was an active member of Round Table and us. He was a thoughtful family physician and a Rotary in Louis Trichardt for many years and served very experienced rural practitioner. In the Congo his as Chairman and President on each of these French was also a life saver to the rest of us. committees respectively. He also sat on a number of committees involved with the promotion of rural It is thus most fitting that the ‘Pierre Jaques Award’ health and the training and deployment of for the Rural Doctor of the Year was established in appropriately trained health workers in South 2002 by the Rural Doctors’ Association of Southern Africa. Many Wits medical students over the years Africa (RuDASA). The award is given annually to a passed through Elim Hospital under his mentorship, rural doctor, working at the coal face, who is judged and he argued strongly for more recognition and by the RuDASA Committee to have made a better training for rural doctors. significant contribution towards rural health in the previous year. The award will now continue to In his post-retirement years Pierre did not sit back, honour the memory of a great South African rural reminisce and complain about the passing of the doctor. good old days. He put his acute mind and his energy into investing in the future. He taught and Pierre passed away peacefully on Sunday 12 August examined students and doctors at Wits and 2007 at his home in the company of family. He is Medunsa, as well as for the HPCSA, and published survived by Rachel, his children Vivianne, Nadine numerous articles. He served for a time as Manager and Colette, and 8 grandchildren. of the SA Family Practice Journal. He presented papers and lectures at national and international Sam Fehrsen congresses and universities in Hong Kong, Israel, With much help from Vivianne Jaques and Switzerland and Canada. Ian Couper

40 Instructions to authors

Adler Museum Bulletin publishes papers in the dissertations, even though unpublished, may be field of historical research in medicine and allied listed provided full details are supplied, including health sciences. The Museum welcomes original the institution where the master copy is lodged. contributions and letters for publication but Do not indent or otherwise format each entry. reserves the right to edit, abridge, alter or reject any material. Manuscripts should not exceed Reference examples 5 000 words. Longer articles may be divided into parts and published in successive issues of the Dr Frack had been a member of the 1919 Class, Bulletin . Authors are responsible for the factual the Tin Templers. 1 correctness of their articles. All articles are sent for refereeing. Authors wishing to reserve It did not, however, include anything about copyright to themselves should stipulate this at osteology, for bones would have doubled the size the time of submission of a manuscript. of The Pocket Gray .2

Each contributor will receive one set of page Direct quotes should be in italics or in single proofs for checking. The cost of any additions or inverted commas alterations to the text at proof stage may be charged to the author. Each author will receive a Military medicine, surgery, and nursing were copy of the Bulletin free of charge. matters too important to be left to private charity, however well intended…. 3 The full names of the author, name of the institution to which the author is/was affiliated ‘The tenth edition of Aids to Anatomy appeared and a short biographical note should appear in 1940…. It had been edited by Professor Stibbe, below the title of the article. The author should who, sadly, in 1923 left the University of the also supply full postal address, email address Witwatersrand.’ 4 and contact number when submitting a manuscript. References

Manuscripts should be typewritten in English on 1. Melzer R. 1980. ‘The Tin Templers;’ or the one side of A4 size paper with margins at least class of 1919. Medical School 25mm wide all round. In addition, authors are Johannesburg. Adler Museum Bulletin. asked to submit a copy of the text on disc written 6(2):15-21. in MS ‘Word’ or saved in ‘Rich text format.’ Do 2. Cotterell E. 1879. The Pocket Gray. Ballière, not format the text or use headers and footers. London. Manuscripts may also be emailed to 3. Hutchinson JF. 1990. Medical opponents of [email protected]. Photographs, if the Red Cross. XXXIInd International emailed, should be in jpeg or jpg (pc) format, Congress on the History of Medicine Abstract preferably 300dpi, or may be sent as high quality Book. p 75. black and white photographic prints. 4. Lucas MB. 1990. Highlights of the Adler Museum Collections - Serendipity and Gray’s References are listed at the end of the manuscript Anatomy: The Pocket Gray. Adler Museum and should be indicated in the text by superior Bulletin. 16(3):18. numbers and listed at the end of the paper in numerical order. Do not list references Manuscripts or discs should be sent to: alphabetically. References should be set out in the Harvard style, and only approved The Editors, Adler Museum Bulletin, abbreviations of journal titles should be used. 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193, South Africa ‘Personal communications’ and work that is ‘in Email: [email protected] preparation’ may be cited in the text, but not in Enquiries to the Curator: the reference list. However, formal theses and Telephone and fax: (+11) 717 2081

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