Eulogy Laudation in honor of Professor Eugene J. Kucharz on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday Anna Kotulska Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland The present supplement of the Polish Archives 1992, whereas in 1994, he was conferred the title of Internal Medicine introduces papers special- of professor and earned the position of full pro- ly dedicated to Professor Eugene Joseph Leszek fessor (professor ordinarius) in 2000. He start- Kucharz on his sixtieth birthday anniversary. ed to head the 4th Department of Internal Med- Eugene J. Kucharz, the only child of Bożena icine in 1996 which, on his motion, was trans- H. Kucharz (neé Hadryś) and Józef Kucharz, formed into the Department of Internal Medi- was born on 4 January 1951 in Katowice, Po- cine and Rheumatology based in Katowice as of land. He attended primary and secondary schools 1 March 2000. Professor Kucharz obtained a board in his hometown of Katowice where he obtained specialization in laboratory diagnostics in 1977, a secondary school diploma at the Nicolas Co- internal medicine (1st degree, 1978, and 2nd de- pernicus Secondary School in 1968. Astounding gree, 1985), rheumatology in 2000, and angiol- achievements resulted in his being listed among ogy in 2003. the best secondary-school graduates of what was Eugene J. Kucharz’s extensive scientific work at the time the Katowice Voivodeship. In 1974, he includes not only 64 books and book chapters, but graduated with honors from the School of Med- also 268 original publications, 235 review papers icine at the Medical University of Silesia. Upon and case reports, as well as 162 publications on graduation, not only did he begin to work at the the history of medicine. In addition, the publi- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laborato- cations list is enriched by more than 600 confer- ry Diagnostics, a part of the newly opened School ence and congress abstracts, numerous reports, of Pharmacy, but also continued to receive a post- journalistic articles, popular science papers and graduate medical training at the 2nd Ward of In- reviews published in leading Polish and interna- ternal Medicine at the Municipal Hospital no. 1 in tional scientific journals. Sosnowiec. In 1978, he earned the title of Doctor Published in New York and Berlin in 1992, of Medicine (research doctorate) from the School a comprehensive monograph entitled The Colla‑ of Medicine at his Alma Mater. In 1982, he was ap- gens: Biochemistry and Pathophysiology is consid- pointed head of the Department of Clinical Chem- ered Professor Kucharz’s most significant publi- istry and Laboratory Diagnostics and, having ob- cation. It was the first work on collagen proteins tained a postdoctoral degree (so called habilita- to be published in history that was intended for tion), he was officially promoted to the head of physicians and, thus, not only introduced the the- this Department in 1984. He was conferred the ti- ory on the biochemistry of these proteins but Correspondence to: tle of Associate Professor in 1985. For 3 consecu- also presented a wide spectrum of pathophysi- Anna Kotulska, MD, PhD, Katedra tive years, from 1986 to 1988, he worked at the ological problems as well as their importance in Chorób Wewnętrznych i Reumatologii, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Arthritis Center of the Medical College of Wis- pathogenesis and treatment. ul. Ziołowa 45/47, 40-635 Katowice, consin in Milwaukee, United States. Upon his Professor Kucharz has been active as a coau- Poland, phone: +48­‑32­‑359-82-90, return to Poland, from February 1989, he per- thor of Polish medical coursebooks for many years. fax: +48­‑32­‑202-99-33, e­‑mail: [email protected] formed assistant duties at the Regional Hospi- In 1995, he wrote a chapter to the Internal Dis‑ Received: April 16, 2012. tal no. 1 in Tychy, and, in October of that year, he eases (Choroby wewnętrzne), a three­‑volume hand- Conflict of interest: none declared. became a lecturer at the 4th Internal Medicine book edited by Andrzej Wojtczak. He also con- Pol Arch Med Wewn. 2012; Department of the Medical University of Silesia. tributed to the Internal Medicine (Interna) text- 122 (Suppl 1): 7-14 Copyright by Medycyna Praktyczna, Professor Kucharz was offered a position of as- book edited by Włodzimierz Januszewicz and Kraków 2012 sociate professor (professor extraordinarius) in Franciszek Kokot (1st edition, 2002; 2nd edition, EULOGY Laudation in honor of Professor Eugene J. Kucharz on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday 7 2006). He wrote a few chapters included in the In‑ Manual of In ‑Patient Medicine: An Evidence ‑Based ternal Diseases (Choroby wewnętrzne) handbook Guide (J.N. Katz, C.B. Patel, M.K. Aslam, 2009). edited by Andrzej Szczeklik (1st edition, 2006; Eugene J. Kucharz translated also a chapter of 2nd edition, 2010; 3rd edition, 2011; 4th edition, Klinikleitfaden Labordiagnostik (under the editor- 2012). Furthermore, Professor Kucharz is a coau- ship of B. Neumeister, I. Besenthal, H. Liebich, thor of the abridged version of the Internal Med‑ 2001) from German to Polish. icine coursebook – Internal Medicine. A Compen‑ Published in Polish, English, and Russian, a spe- dium of Practical Medicine (Choroby wewnętrzne cial publication by Eugene J. Kucharz in a form – Kompendium Medycyny Praktycznej; 1st edition, of an extensive essay entitled “Man is the way of 2009; 2nd edition, 2010; 3rd edition, 2011). medicine” constitutes an open letter announced The Great Handbook of Internal Medicine (Wiel‑ to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Pol- ka Interna) published in 2010 introduces a num- ish Society of Internal Medicine. It is an exhaus- ber of his chapters on rheumatology (Volume 9, tive analysis of problems arising from internal edited by Mariusz Puszczewicz), whereas Family medicine development in the light of develop- Medicine (Medycyna rodzinna), edited by Andrzej mental directions of medical science and med- Stewciwko, features the Professor’s chapters on ical practice. rheumatology in adults. He also wrote chapters Eugene J. Kucharz began his scientific pursuit to numerous specialized handbooks, among oth- as a third-year student at the Department of Phys- ers, to Clinical Rheumatology (Reumatologia klin‑ iological Chemistry under the supervision of Pro- iczna) edited by Irena Zimmermann­‑Górska in fessor Stanisław Jóźkiewicz. At that time, his sci- 2008, and made a contribution as a coauthor to entific interest focused on experimental hyperthy- the second edition of the Clinical Physiopathology roidism and hypothyroidism studies. During that (Patofizjologia kliniczna) handbook (under the ed- period, his first articles were published, including itorship of Barbara Zahorska­‑Markiewicz and a paper on the influence of thyroid hormones on Ewa Małecka­‑Tendera, 2009). Serial publications the function of 5’-nucleotidase in tissue printed Rheumatology 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 as well in Endocrinology. In the fifth year of studies, Eu- as New trends (Reumatologia. Nowe trendy), ed- gene J. Kucharz was the first student at the Med- ited by Piotr Wiland, Poznań, 2011 and Poznań, ical University of Silesia to receive an individual 2012, introduce Professor Kucharz’s chapter on study plan, and an approval to commence prep- osteoarthritis. arations for his PhD research. His study focused Professor Kucharz coauthored Vademe‑ on an experimental collagen­‑like disease induced cum of Internal Medicine (Vademecum Medycyny by chronic application of hydralazine to guinea Wewnętrznej), edited by Jan Duława, and collab- pigs. After graduation, he continued his research orated on a number of monographs, including as a member of the team supervised by Profes- Vascular Surgery: an Outline (Chirurgia naczyń w sor Marian Drożdż. The study results were pre- zarysie) edited by Krzysztof Ziaja and Tomasz sented in his PhD thesis, which concerned a colla- Urbanek, 2006, and Enbrel: A Clinical Application gen metabolism malfunction in the experimental (Enbrel: zastosowanie kliniczne) edited by Jacek collagen­‑like disease. At that time, his description Szechciński in 2008 and the 2nd edition by Piotr of an effective method which consisted in induc- Wiland in 2012. ing the collagen­‑like disease in guinea pigs came In 2004, at Professor Kucharz’s initiative, to light. He proved that animals suffering from the first edition of a series of academic medical this disease manifest impaired collagen fiber mat- handbooks (2004–2007), published as the Gold uration, and put forward a hypothesis on the ly- Series of Polish Internal Medicine by the PZWL syl oxidase malfunction due to hydralazine. This Medicine Publishing House (Wydawnictwo Leka- thesis was confirmed by Japanese scientists, who rskie PZWL), came to light. It was published to referred to the name of Professor Kucharz several celebrate the 100th anniversary of establishing years after his observation had been published in the Polish Society of Internal Medicine. Each book Experimental Pathology. At the same time, Profes- of the series, consisting of more than 10 alto- sor Kucharz studied the influence of toxic exhaust gether, features a foreword written by the Pro- gases on connective tissue metabolism. fessor himself. In the next years, he continued his research on Professor Kucharz is known as a translator connective tissue metabolism in experimental an- and editor of numerous medical books translat- imal models and in clinical studies. His scientific ed from English, e.g., Washington Manual of Med‑ work