HISTORY OF ENT The father of the history of otology PROFESSOR ALBERT MUDRY AND MR JOHN RIDDINGTON YOUNG his year marks the centenary of the subject, but it has stood the test of time death of Adam Politzer (1835-1920). and still remains unsurpassed as the ‘gold He has been described as the Father standard’ reference work on the history T of Otology [1] and was certainly the of otology. It also presents a persuasive most influential person in otology in the and cogent philosophy about the value latter half of the 19th century [2]. of studying history of otology. In the He is probably best remembered for Introduction, he warns: “It has become his eponymous middle ear inflation increasingly evident to the physician that (Politzerisation) but he worked assiduously in order to gain a thorough understanding in every aspect of otology, developing of medicine, he must have at least a the value of otoscopy in diagnosing ear rudimentary knowledge of its developmental disease. He was also at the forefront in history.” He ends by saying “The history of the description of many pathological conditions (including his seminal account a scientific specialty should act as a guiding of otosclerosis) [3]. He exploited current light, connecting the past with the present progress in pathology and histology to and establishing the basis for future research develop new diagnostic and therapeutic [7].” procedures [4]. In 1877 he invented a new Perhaps Søren Kierkegaard, the first portable acoumeter to improve on the existential philosopher, put this same inadequate contemporary methods of concept very succinctly another way. testing auditory acuity [5]. He said, “Life can only be understood Politzer was born in Alberti (now backwards; but it must be lived forwards [9].” Adam Politzer Albertirsa), Hungary, but completed Having said all this, many otologists his medical studies in Vienna in 1859. remain unconvinced and it is fairly clear He travelled extensively in Europe and that there are two camps with respect to worked in Heidelberg, Paris, Würzburg and the history of medicine: those who realise London. He studied with such great names its importance and those who consider it a as Joseph Toynbee and Prosper Meniere, useless triviality. Colleagues who take time but returned to Vienna [3]. to read this feature probably fall into the In 1864, together with von Tröltsch first group. and Schwartze, he founded the Archiv für Ohrenheilkunde, the first periodical to deal exclusively with otology. Later it became References AUTHORS 1. Lederer FL. A Tribute to Adam Politzer. Arch the European Archives of Oto-Rhino- Otolaryngol 1961;74(2):130-3. Laryngology. With his colleague Gruber, 2. Bennett JDC, Young JR. Offbeat Otolaryngology. he started the first academic clinic in the Stuttgart, Germany; Thieme; 2001:58. world devoted entirely to otology in 1873. 3. Mudry A. Adam Politzer (1835-1920) and the This was Politzer’s genius – he was the very description of otosclerosis. Otol Neurotol Professor Albert first surgeon to embrace otology as an 2006;27:276-81. Mudry, independent specialty in its own right [6]. 4. Mudry A. The Role of Adam Politzer (1835-1920) MD, PhD, Stanford in the History of Otology. Am J Otol 2000;21:753- His textbook on otology [7] is legendary. University School of 63; Mudry A. Adam Politzer; A Life for Otology. Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. There were four first editions (in German Asuncion: Wayenborgh, 2010. 1878, American English 1883, French 1884 5. Politzer A. Ueber einen einheitlichen Hörmesser. and Spanish 1886) and after five various Arch Ohrenheil 1877;12:104-9. other editions in different languages, 6. Podolsky, E. Adam Politzer, First Scientific Otologist, John Riddington eventually a posthumous sixth English Guest Editorial Eye Ear Nose Throat 1956;35:581. Young, edition in 1926. 7. Politzer A. Lehrbuch der Ohrenheilkunde. Vol I. Stuttgart; Enke; 1878. Retired General ENT It is for Politzer’s celebrated book, 8. Politzer A. Geschichte der Ohrenheilkunde. Surgeon, TD and bar, MPhil, FRCS, DLO, North Devon History of Otology [8] however, that we 2 volumes. Stuttgart; F Enke, 1907 and 1913. DGH. Barnstaple, UK. suggest that he be dubbed the ‘Father 9. Kierkegaard, S. Journalen JJ:167 (1843), Søren of the History of ENT.’ This was not only Kierkegaards Skrifter, Søren Kierkegaard Research the first comprehensive textbook on the Centre, Copenhagen, 1997, volume 18, page 306. ent and audiology news | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 | VOL 29 NO 4 | www.entandaudiologynews.com.