College News Sir Victor Ewings Negus

College news 201 IN MEMORIAM Sir Victor Ewings Negus at an early stage in his career, but at that time >,rm~s only intense personal drive could create the neces- sary conditions to make this possible. The Mechan- ism of the Larynx is a classic piece of research and is still the standard reference book of the world. In 1937 he assisted St Clair Thomson in the preparation of the fourth edition of Diseases of the Nose and Throat, which has been for many years the standard textbook in English on this sub- ject. The fifth and sixth editions were entirely his, and he brought them completely up to date. The language was lucid and concise and very readable. This textbook was his only major publication in clinical otolaryngology, but he had many publica- tions outside the field of clinical surgery. In the basic sciences he published books on The Compara- tive Anatomy and Physiology of the Larynx in 1949, The Comparative Anatomy of the Nose and Accessory Sinuses in 1958, and The Biology of Respiration in I965. The theories expounded in these books were developed and supported by his own laboratory investigations carried out in the Ferens Institute at the Middlesex Hospital and in the Royal College of Surgeons after he had retired from clinical practice at King's College Hospital. When the Council of the Royal College of Sur- geons, under the presidency of Lord Webb-Johnson, decided to co-opt to Council representatives of specialist branches of surgery Victor Negus was the first co-opted member for otolaryngology. He rep- resented his specialty with great success and was Victor Negus, who died on I5th July 1974 at the instrumental in founding the Final Examination in age of 87, had a profound influence on the develop- Otolaryngology for the diploma of FRCS. He also ment of otorhinolaryngology and on the outlook of became deeply involved in College affairs and wrote members of the specialty. There can be few oto- books on The History of the Trustees of the laryngologists working in this country today whose Hunterian Collection, and Artistic Possessions of the career and philosophy have not been affected by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and other, actions and life of Victor Negus. At a time, in smaller, books on pharmacy jars and furniture at the 1920S, when the normal method of attaining the College. He became a Trustee of the Hunterian staff status as an ear, nose, and throat surgeon in a Collection and in due course was elected Chairman teaching hospital was to pass the Final Fellowship of the Trustees. of the Royal College of Surgeons in general surgery and then to be apprenticed to an influential ENT For his services to the Royal College of Surgeons surgeon he undertook an important and original he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the piece of laboratory research in a basic science, com- College in I969. This was not his first recognition parative anatomy, which resulted in the publication by the College. He was a Hunterian Professor, Prize- of his book The Mechanism of the Larynx in 1929. man, and Medallist, a Lister Medallist, and an Arris Fifty Fears later it is usual for an aspiring consultant and Gale Lecturer. He was elected a Semon Lec- to be encouraged to undertake some basic research turer by the University of London and was an oo20 College news inivited lecturer at innumerable meetings of otolaryni- tion1 of Otolaryngologists, and all of us wlho sat gological societies all over the world. As a result he on its Council under him are grateful for his guid- was elected to the honorary fellowship of the Royal anice and persistence in implementing the Council's Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and in Ireland decisions. He had the habit of becoming president and to honorary fellowship or membership of a or chairman of all bodies he was associated with, vast numbcr of societies at home and abroad. He and to list all his presidencies would be tedious. was an honorary Doctor of Science of the University To name but a few, in addition to the British of Manchester. It seems unlikely that any British Association of Otolaryngologists, he was President car, nose, and throat surgeon has been honoured of the Thoracic Society, the Collegium Oto-rhino- by so many societies. He was a great man in great laryngologica Amicitiae Sacrum, and the Inter- demand, and whenever he accepted an invitation to national Congress of Otolaryngology in 1949. He sl)eak he always took immense trouble to ensure that was knighted in 1956. his paper was up to the standard he set for himself. The list of his achievements suggests a life of It is for this reason that so many societies elected unending scientific and professional labour. In fact hiim to honorary membership. he always reserved time and energy for the non- When the National Health Service was proposed professional activities and he particularly enjoyed after the war he realized that it was essential to tennis and golf. He played tennis till he was 70 have an organization to represent the interests of and concentrated on golf only after reaching that his specialty to the authorities which would rule age, when he decided that he was too slow about thC service. He was at that time President of a tennis court. He enjoyed his life and showed the Section of Laryngology at the Royal Society of that it was possible to combine an extremely arduous Medicine and he tried, with Frank Ormerod, to and productive life with a full social life and a inistitute a group under the auspices of that society capacity for enjoying active sports. to carry out this function. The articles of the RSM In 1929 he married Gladys (Eve) Rennie and they would not allow this type of organization within have two sons, one of whom practises surgery. Eve its jurisdiction, so he and Frank Ormerod were is an artist of considerable merit, and in order instrumental in founding the British Association of to help Victor she became a medical artist andl Otolaryngologists and associating this new body with illustrated several of his books with great success. the Royal College of Surgeons of England. All Brit- She travelled the world with him and helped greatly ish otolaryngologists should be grateful to Victor in making his visits successful in all the countries Negus for his foresight and for the association he visited, as well as being a charming hostess at lhe set up, because this body has been instrumen- the meetings over which he presided in Britain. tal in having otolaryngology accepted as a major All Victor's colleagues would like to extend their specialty within the National Health Service. He sympathy to Eve in her great loss. inevitably became President of the British Associa- GEOFFREY BATEMAN ADMISSION TO HONORARY FELLOWSHIP Professor Rudolf Zenker At the Meeting of Council held on i3th Junc I974 oblivioni; and I visited many of the celebrated Ger- Professor Rudolf Zenker, of Munich, Germany, was man and Austrian surgical clinics. Quite the most admitted to the Honorary Fellowship. Professor John outstanding of these seemed to me to be the Heidel- Goligher gave the Citation in his honour as follows: berg clinic, then headed by Martin Kirschner, surely 'Mr President: one of the greatest surgical technicians of all time. 'As a recent medical graduate in I936 I had Everything about him was impressive, including his the good fortune to spend some 8-j months in supporting staff of bright young men. In conversa- Germany and Austria, the object being to see some- tion with some of the latter I discovered a fairly thing of German surgery and also incidentally to general consensus of opinion that their most promis- try to improve my German and to attend the Olym- ing colleague on the staff was a young oberarzt l)ic Games which were being held in Berlin that from Munich named Rudolf Zenker, whose father year. Wcll, I saw the Games; my German did im- was a distinguished ophthalmic surgeon and whose prove somewNhat for a time, only to lapse sub- grandfather had beenl one of Germany's leading sequenitly, I am afraid, into almost completc pathologists. Everyonie prophesied for young Zcniker.

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