Evolution and revolution: the formation of today's American Thoracic Society, part 1.

The American Thoracic Society (ATS), the preeminent professional organization in the field of respiratory, critical care, and sleep medicine, is now 107 years old. For the most part, the Society's administrative and medical-scientific interests evolved in an orderly fashion, but two "revolutions" took place that should be remembered. What ultimately metamorphosed into the ATS in 1960 began in 1905 as the 34-member American Sanatorium Association, which in 1915 became the medical section of the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis (NASPT). In 1918, the NASPT became the National Tuberculosis Association and in 1939, the ASA became the American Trudeau Society, cosmetic revisions having no effect on either the medical section-parent relationship or the one-disease orientation of both organizations. After World War II, the narrow focus of the ATS on tuberculosis was progressively enlarged through coalescence of several factors that transformed the practice of pulmonary medicine: the growth of intensive care units and pulmonary function laboratories and the advent of fiberoptic bronchoscopy; the rise of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer coincident with the withering of tuberculosis; and the arrival of pulmonary physician-scientists who sought enrichment through a professional society. The newcomers found a home in the ATS, but it was slow to fulfill their needs for scientific communication and administrative responsibility. The first revolution, the formation of Scientific Assemblies, got the job done quickly and well, as described in Part 1 of this perspective. The second revolution, separation from the American Lung Association, is described in Part 2.

The Man Behind the Clagett Procedure: Dr Oscar Theron "Jim" Clagett.

Dr O.T. "Jim" Clagett was a pioneer in surgery of the great vessels and thorax. The procedure that bears his name for treatment of postpneumonectomy empyema was only one of his many innovations in aortic, lung, and esophageal surgery. He performed over 35,000 operations and trained over 115 residents during his tenure at Mayo Clinic. His distinguished career highlights include: helping develop the field of cardiothoracic surgery during its infancy, starting the Thoracic Surgery Residency Program at Mayo Clinic, serving in numerous institutional and national leadership roles, and countless awards.

The tale of an old stethoscope: from Mr Bampton (1816-65) to the British Thoracic Society.

The stethoscope has long been a powerful symbol of the physician. This article describes a stethoscope that was presented as a prize to an outstanding student, Mr Bampton, by his eminent teacher Dr James Hope (1801-41) in 1837. The extraordinary journey of this prize stethoscope that eventually found its way to North Wales and into the hands of the Liverpool physician, Robert Coope (1892-1972), is outlined. Its subsequent importance and symbolism to the Thoracic Society and the British Thoracic Society is emphasized.

[Development of modern physical diagnosis and its application in cardiothoracic surgery]. / Die Entwicklung der modernen physikalischen Diagnostik und deren Anwendung in der Herz-Thorax-Chirurgie.

The year 2000 marked the 300th anniversary of the birth of Gerard Van Swieten (1700-1772). He reformed medicine in Vienna, putting new emphasis on diagnosis based on clinical observation in combination with anatomical-pathological findings. This led to the introduction by Leopold Auenbrugger (1722-1809) of percussion in the examination of thoracic organs. However, further work by Joseph Skoda (1805-1881) was required to finally establish this method as a diagnostic tool for pathologies in the thorax. The surgeon Franz Schuh (1804-1865) carried out further basic research in respiratory physiology that cleared the way for the use of percussion and auscultation in thoracic surgery. He is also remembered for introducing experimental surgery in Austria, thus making surgery a science. This article aims to recall these men and their fundamental work behind early paracentesis of the thorax, and especially the first successful pericardiotomy by Schuh 160 years ago, which is also considered a milestone in cardiac surgery.

Bicentenary of Sir John Forbes (1787-1861).

This year is the bicentenary of the birth of the distinguished Scottish physician, Sir John Forbes, famous for his translation of the great French medical classic, De L'Auscultation Médiate by R.T.H. Laennec, the inventor of the stethoscope.

Mondor's disease: what's new since 1939?

Mondor's disease (MD) is a rare and self-limited benign disease first described in 1939. Originally its clinical presentation was a superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) without contiguous skin inflammation of the chest wall veins. Over time its definition has evolved and now also includes subcutaneous thrombosis of the dorsal vein of the penis but also retractile scarring of the fascia after breast surgery without concomitant SVT. In all cases clinical examination constitutes the first step of diagnostic management. It is followed by an ultrasound exploration (US) to search for a thrombus. In about half of all cases the disease is considered as idiopathic and cancer is rare. Whatever the location considered, the follow-up is usually uneventful with low rates of recurrence and of subsequent cancer. Treatment is debated and ranges from therapeutic abstention to anticoagulants or even surgery. It is likely that the new locations and mechanisms (without thrombosis) of the MD have lead to the constitution of a heterogeneous entity precluding from a consensual mode of care.