Osler Library Newsletter

OSLER LIBRARY NEWSLETTER McGill University, Montreal, Canada No. 70 -June 1992 TROTULA, OSLER AND FRANCIS nibus Mulierum Curandorum. This title was that exam? Silly thing! Chuck your head - freely translated by Elizabeth Mason-Hohl, you will never need it again”. sler’s propensity for of Los Angeles, as The Disease of Women by A short time later he wrote, ‘When are using nick-names, or Trotula of Salerno. Her book with this title, you to be married? Do not wait too long - trick-names, as terms published in 1940, was the first “true” Eng- please. No man is worth waiting for more of endearment is com- lish translation from the Latin edition of than six months”. mon knowledge. These 1547, printed by the Aldine Press of Venice. She soon married Geoffrey Jefferson, who begin with “The Dr. W.W. Francis, Osler's “nephew”, and Li- became a noted neurosurgeon of Manches- Widow Gross”, for his brarian of the Osler Library in Montreal, ter, and was later knighted. wife and “Isaac” (and was later responsible, through Dr. Myron A warm correspondence continued. Osler others) for his son, Prinzmetal, the Los Angeles cardiologist, sent her a carbon copy of his famous letter Revere. He used many for children of friends for seeing that Trotula's namesake received to Dr. Remsen, President of Johns Hopkins, and relatives, and, of course, E.Y.D., the a copy of Dr. Mason-Hohl’s translation. concerning full-time professors. pseudonym behind which he hid his alter When Osler’s Trotula was going up for Meantime, Dr. W.W. Francis and the Jef- ego. Colleagues were less often so addressed, her physiology examination Osler prepared fersons had become well acquainted and Students were frequently victimized. for her a fictitious test in physiology. He this relationship had some amusing twists Cosmo Gordon andyGeoffrey Keynes, designated it for ‘The Hilary Term, 1660”. after Francis returned to Montreal with the two Cambridge graduates who were work- He signed the examination ‘Thomas Willis library. His sense of humor was different but ing on a bibliography of Sir Thomas Browne ex Aede Christi”. Most Oslerians have seen just as acute as his forebear’s. An exchange when they first visited Osler in this connec- this reproduced in Cushing’s Life, volume 2, that took place at the time of Osler's centen- tion were dubbed by Osler, “Cosmas and Damian". Gordon, who went on to become a distinguished librarian, did not continue to use his nickname, while Keynes often signed himself "Damian”. Gordon and Keynes, like others, may not have been aware of the significance of the names at the beginning and were doubtless kept in the dark by the Professor. Osler, naturally, was quite familiar with the history of these fourth century twin brothers who are the traditional patron saints of medicine, after St. Luke. They had been known as the ‘Moneyless Ones” because they refused compensation for their practice of medicine. They earned their sainthood by being beheaded, along with three brothers, for their Christian beliefs. Osler obviously had not chosen these names at random. The best known of his nick-names, outside of E.Y.D. and those for his son, Revere, is probably ‘Trot&“."Trotula” Cushing gave full play to this in the Life. The lady so christened Andrew Keogh, Yale Librarian, Lady Jefferson (Trotula) , and Harvey Cushing in the garden at Yale. shortly after her arrival at Oxford was Miss Gertrude Flumerfelt, of Vancouver, British opposite page 203. She later wrote of it, “It ary is an example. It originated with Trotula. Columbia. She later wrote of this as follows: was to discourage me in my hopes of being It began with a letter signed, “Marlene ‘He gave me the name "Trotula" at my able to pass”. Osler's response to her by Yorrick Davis”, from ‘The Guildhall, Caugh- first meeting and never called me anything letter, after the examination, was, “I am glad nawaga, Quebec, Canada, 24th May, 1949”. else. His delight was great at the general to hear- though not surprised - that the mystification of all of my friends, including examiners were deceived. Considering how My Dear Sir, my medical friends, as to who or what Tro- little you know of the higher physiology, I am writing this in the Guildhall in the tula was, and it was months before a friend as illustrated by my paper, you must have peace that comes over me when I am in the managed to unearth her history for me.” had shocking duffers as examiners on that company of my grandfather’s mind, if not Of course, what she found out was that subject". of his body -surrounded by the famous Trotula was reputed to have been an elev- Three years later, when Trotula was about Egerton Yorrick Davis collection. As I look enth century female physician of Salerno. to go up for her final examinations, in 1912, at some of its treasures, the skull of Plato The original Trotula's professional fortunes Osler learned of her engagement. He wrote: had gone up and down but her funeral cor- "'Twas as I thought and knew! Hearty con- tege was alleged to have been two miles gratulations - only having known me, to de- The lead article in this issue of the Newsletter comes from the prolific pen of that many-sided Oslerian, long, so that her terminal popularity must cide on a Surgeon is a bit hard”. After Dr. Earl Nation. It was originally presented as a paper have been considerable. The surviving writ- inviting them to be married at 13 Norham before the American Osler Society at its spring ten work attributed to Trotula is De Passio- Gardens, he went on: ‘Why bother about meeting in San Diego. The initial letter on this page is reproduced from Alexander Nesbitt (ed.) Decorative alphabets and initials, plate 119, Dover Publications, 1959. and the lower jaw of Julius Iroquois) outside the Guildhall Caesar with its beautifulold in happier days. I haven’t told bridgework, the bottleB o the the Great White Father (or he waters of Lethe a chip off might unknight you) but to Charon's oar, Aesculapius’s think that you and Dr. Osler’s therometer, as well as Dr. Tarantula (?) could be in Mont- Harvey’s blood-pressure appa- real, so near by, without letting ratus, and the thesis of Dr. Rad- me know or coming to see dear cliffe of Oxford on pneumococ- Grandfather’s collection and cal pneumonia (that they gave your own neglected but doting him the gold-head cane for), - Marlene Yorrick Davis.” And my eyes fill with tears as I in the same handwriting as the think how hard grandpa had signature [W.W.F.]: Dr. F. didn’t to work to get them. How Sir tell me. I saw your name in the William loved him, and how visitor's book at the Osler Li- they used to linger over these brary where I sometimes subli- old things. Dr. Osler said, I mate my ego in Grandad’s know, that he only met him medical papers which the once, and referred to him in a Government wouldn’t let us cursory way, “old rogue”, I A communication from "Marlene Yorrick Davis”, as fabricated by W.W. Francis for the keep here on the Reservation.” think he called him, but of benefit of "Trotula"'s husband, Sir Geoffrey Jefferson . On April 11, 1954 Francis course we in the family always wrote again, this time also to understood that they went off “Sir Geoffrey": “I’m flat on my on secret sprees together, like CORRESPONDENCE SPACE back with another coronary, the one at Atlantic City that I but surviving as usual.” He think Dr. Cushing must have BY DECOR, MONTREAL went on to answer questions written about in his book. about F.J. Shepherd who had My father was a steady-go- died in 1929. Francis referred ing man, a doctor too like his to him as "W.O.'s contempo- Dad. He always used to say rary and most intimate friend, that it was the bad example that probably the best teacher of his father Egerton and that man anatomy that this continent Dr. Osler set him that made has produced and at the same him keep to the narrow path. time a good surgeon and der- Seeing something in the pa- matologist, also a connoisseur pers about Sir William Osler's and collector of paintings.” being born one or two hundred Later in the same letter he ago made me write. I’m look- wrote: “It occurs to me that I ing at grand-father’s portrait have neglected to send Milady that hangs in this beautiful "Trotula" the pomes she rashly room -him, surrounded by the requested. When my Crebripa- Indians that he treated so kindly. So I send Six months later (7 Dec. 1949) he wrote Sir rous (I had to look that up in the Oxford my respects, because I know Grand-dad Geoffrey Jefferson about the letter. Trotula English Dictionary. It is from crebritude, would have wanted it. later noted at the head of this letter Francis’ meaning frequency or oftenness.) medical Yours truly, mistake in addressing it to her husband, daughter [Dr. Marian Francis Kelen] was Signed, Marlene Yorrick Davis whom Francis still thought to be the author about to produce her latest, I sent her this: (my mother went a lot to the pictures; I of the letter. don’t think that Dr. Osler would have liked “I’ve come to the shocking conclusion The first after two years was jolly; my name.) that I apparently did not acknowledge Mar- The next in one was supersonic; lene’s letter of May 24th! If so, many apolo- The third again in one was folly; This spoof was the work of "Trotula", gies.

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