Serendipity in oto-rhino-laryngology.

INTRODUCTION: Serendipitous findings are findings that were initially unsought but nevertheless contribute to the development of the discipline. This article reviews eight serendipitous findings in oto-rhino-laryngology important to its advancement. METHOD: The following serendipitous findings are discussed: the accidental discovery of the laryngeal mirror and indirect laryngoscopy by Garcia (1854), the invention of direct oesophagoscopy by Kußmaul (circa 1868), Czermák's (1863) development of diaphanoscopy, the unintentional emergence of bronchography from a clinical error made by Weingartner (1914), adenotomy by Meyer (1869), the discovery of the causes of unbalance related to the vestibular nerve by Flourens (1830), Bárány's (1914) finding that the semi-circular canal reflex is involved in equilibrium, and the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and middle-ear infections by Poelmans and Feenstra (2002). DISCUSSION: Based on these case studies we conclude that serendipity, defined as the art of making an initially unsought find, does not always appear out of nowhere. Often the researcher is already wrestling with a problem for which the serendipitous finding provides a solution. Sometimes the serendipitous finding enables the application of a known solution to a new problem. And sometimes a serendipitous finding is not recognized as such or considered unimportant. Since observations tend to be theory-loaded, having appropriate background knowledge is a conditio sine qua non to elaborate an unanticipated observation.

The Laryngologist Who Saved the Brooklyn Bridge.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the role of a single laryngologist, Andrew Heermance Smith, in elucidating the mechanisms of Caisson Disease and controlling it effects on bridge workers. DATA SOURCES: Scientific and lay publications, letters and records of the Roebling family, obituaries and internet sources. REVIEW METHODS: Historical review. RESULTS: AH Smith combined physiological observations and experiments in the Brooklyn Bridge caissons with a review of the existing engineering and medical literature to describe the Caisson Disease and to devise strategies to ameliorate its effects. CONCLUSION: Despite an incorrect conclusion about the pathophysiology of decompression sickness, Smith's stringent standards and timely interventions allow completion of the masonry towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 134:3044-3048, 2024.

[XXI Moscow scientific and practical conference "Otorhinolaryngology: traditions and modernity", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Professor Nina Petrovna Konstantinova]. / XXI Moskovskaya nauchno-prakticheskaya konferentsiya «Otorinolaringologiya: traditsii i sovremennost'¼, posvyashchennaya 100-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya professora Niny Petrovny Konstantinovoi.

XXI Moscow scientific and practical conference "Otorhinolaryngology: traditions and modernity", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Professor Nina Petrovna Konstantinova.

An Analysis of Otolaryngology in Avicenna's Canon of Medicine: Utilizing the Original Arabic Text.

Avicenna authored The Canon of Medicine, a principal medical textbook for over 600 years. Our primary goal is to systematically review and translate relevant portions of The Canon in its original Arabic and correlate to Sardo's 2014 translation, focusing on otolaryngology, to present an accurate representation of Avicenna's impact and highlight notable discrepancies. Secondarily, we aim to review the literature for citations discussing Avicenna's contributions to otolaryngology and identify misinterpretations. Notably, Avicenna may have described the shape of the cochlea 500 years before its believed discovery in humans by Eustachius (1552) and Falloppius (1561). There are also obscurities in Avicenna's descriptions of the etiology of epistaxis and airway management. It is essential to remain critical of historical texts and safeguard the accurate propagation of information to preserve the integrity of historical context and timelines of scientific advancement.

The Semon Lectures and the foundation of modern ENT.

BACKGROUND: Sir Felix Semon established the Semon Lecture series in 1913 to advance the specialty of laryngology. The annual lectures continue to the present day (there have been 95 to date). OBJECTIVE: This review illustrates how instrumental these lectures have been in shaping otolaryngology. METHOD: The period 1913-1970 preceded subspecialisation, and so forms the background of laryngology (as well as rhinology and otology) as we know it today. This era forms the focus of the article. RESULTS: Changes came about by a standardisation of practices and research, and in the treatment of conditions. The initial period was crucial. CONCLUSION: Many lectures highlight the specialty's growth. Now, another vital resource, a dedicated website (semonlectures.org), has made this information more accessible to the wider public.

The enigma of Sir William Robert Wills Wilde (1815-1876).

William Wilde, father of Oscar Wilde, made a significant contribution to ophthalmology and otology. Qualified as a surgeon. educated in statistics and showing sympathy for the Irish population, Wilde was appointed a Commissioner for the 1851 Census, which covered the time of the Irish Famine (1845-1852). Wilde, steeped in Irish mythology, used his knowledge to develop a close rapport with the Irish peasantry. However, his life was a paradox; he supported the British Government's approach to the Famine and at the same time he showed humanity to the Irish peasantry. In his personal life he was implicated in an abortive libel case involving a young female patient who had accused him of rape. Wilde lived as though he had two separate lives: on the one hand the successful surgeon, famine Commissioner and cataloguer of Irish antiquities, and the other a countryman and disciple of Irish mythology. Wilde was highly preceptive especially in his views on the recording of medical data and outcomes in clinical practice. We argue that Wilde was probably unmatched in the variety of his talents but was also perplexing in the various actions he took during his life and that indeed Wilde was an enigma.

Charles F. Ferguson, MD: America's first full time pediatric otolaryngologist.

This historical review highlights the career of Charles F. Ferguson, MD for whom the annual clinical science awards bestowed by the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology are named. Dr. Ferguson was the first full time pediatric otolaryngologist in the United States. His career at Boston Children's Hospital spanned almost four decades. Disorders of the larynx, trachea and bronchi were his principal professional focus, with a specific expertise in bronchoesophagology. His pioneering work in pediatric airway endoscopy and the development of techniques to diagnose congenital airway malformations led to his receipt of the Chevalier Jackson Award from the American Bronchoesophagological Association, and the James Newcomb Award from the American Laryngological Society. He notably edited the first Pediatric Otolaryngology textbook in 1972. His life's work help set the foundation for the creation of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in 1984, six years following his retirement. The Charles Ferguson Clinical Science Awards were established to sustain his legacy.

Centenary memorabilia of Adam Politzer.

Adam Politzer (1835-1920) was one of the greatest otologists of all time. On the 100th Anniversary of his death, this paper pays tribute to his legacy to our specialty and examines various memorabilia made during those hundred years in his honour. Items as diverse as book plates, postage stamps and postcards stand alongside commemorative medals, busts and plaques, all bearing witness to his legendary status and contribution to our specialty.

Shedding light on the tympanic membrane: a brief history of the description and understanding of its anatomy.

OBJECTIVE: For centuries, the tympanum has remained the only visible structure of the organ of hearing. This study aimed to trace the understanding of the tympanic membrane from antiquity to the early twentieth century. METHODS: A review was conducted of primary and secondary historical and scientific literature describing the tympanic membrane anatomy. RESULTS: Although ancient polymaths sensed that sounds were vibrations that could spread in the air and be perceived by the hearing organ, there were numerous misconceptions about the tympanum until human dissections performed during the Renaissance. The tympanum was correctly described only centuries later when technological advances enabled otologists to understand it as a fundamental part of the hearing organ. CONCLUSION: The tympanic membrane history reflects key stages in medical knowledge; limited for centuries, a great technological leap was possible in the nineteenth century, contributing to the emergence of otologists and laying the foundations of modern otology.

Día del otorrinolaringólogo en Colombia / Otolaryngologist Day in Colombia

En varios países se celebra el día del otorrinolaringólogo y tiene una fecha distinta en cada uno de ellos por diferentes motivos. Hemos formado parte importante de la historia y nuestro aporte en las diferentes áreas de la especialidad es y deberá ser siempre reconocido por la sociedad entera; sin embargo, en Colombia no teníamos una fecha definida para celebrarlo, por lo que recibimos palabras de felicitación en diferentes días del año. Como Asociación Colombiana de Otorrinolaringología (ACORL), debemos procurar visibilizar nuestro trabajo como especialistas y darle el lugar que merece en la sociedad civil y científica; es por esto por lo que, atendiendo y gestionando la inquietud de una querida asociada, les comparto que esta Junta Directiva ha oficializado el 26 de septiembre como el día del otorrinolaringólogo en nuestro país. Qué mejor oportunidad que esta para hacerles un homenaje a quienes tuvieron la determinación de fundar ACORL el 26 de septiembre de 1961 en Bogotá.

In several countries the Otolaryngologist day is celebrated and it has a different date in each one for different reasons. We have made an important part in history and our contribution in the different areas of the specialty is and should always be recognized by the entire society. However, in Colombia we did not have a defined date to celebrate it. As Association (ACORL), we must try to make our work visible as specialists and give it the place it deserves in civil and scientific society. This is why I share with you that this Board of Directors has made September 26 official as the Otolaryngologist day in our country. What better opportunity than this, to pay tribute to those who had the determination to establish the Colombian Association of Otolaryngology on September 26, 1961 in Bogota

Adam Brown Kelly and his operating chair.

BACKGROUND: Adam Brown Kelly, well known for lending his name to Paterson-Brown Kelly syndrome, is steeped in the early history of otolaryngology. To date, little light has been shone on his contributions to the specialty in that exciting period and to his home town of Glasgow. METHOD: A historical review of his life and times was undertaken based on surviving accounts of his life, published work and archived memoirs. RESULTS: This article summarises his life and connections, with particular reference to his unique chair that has survived to this day. CONCLUSION: Brown Kelly remains a pioneer of modern otolaryngology, and deserving of prominence within the medical history of Glasgow.

A study of a provincial ear, nose and throat service in a British city prior to the National Health Service: Nottingham and South Nottinghamshire (1886-1947).

BACKGROUND: It was in twentieth-century Britain that the two distinct surgical disciplines, otology and laryngology, became united under the title oto-laryngology. Aural departments were established in general hospitals in the hands of specialists long before throat departments. The development and politics of the specialty occurred in London, while provincial services commenced in the early eighteenth century, with ophthalmologists, setting up a clinic or dispensary, progressing onto a hospital. METHODS: The following resources were used: the Nottinghamshire Archives; Manuscripts and Special Collections at the University of Nottingham Libraries and The Local Studies Library, Nottingham Central Library. RESULTS: The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Hospital for Diseases of the Throat, Ear and Nose was established in 1886, staffed by part-time general practitioners. The Nottingham Children's Hospital appointed two qualified surgeons in the 1910s and subsequently the General Nottingham Hospital appointed them as honorary assistant surgeons. Both hospitals provided access to beds, not available to the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Hospital for Diseases of the Throat, Ear and Nose. Following The Education Act of 1907, Nottingham created a School Health Services. By the 1920s, Nottingham had four institutions providing clinical and surgical ENT services. The National Hospitals Survey conducted in 1945 recommended that the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Hospital for Diseases of the Throat, Ear and Nose be closed and amalgamated with The General Hospital Nottingham. CONCLUSION: The General Hospital Nottingham was slow to create a service for the diagnosis and treatment of ENT diseases and disorders, but established a Departmental Service by 1927. The surgical staffing was common to all four of the ENT services from mid-1930.

Women and Minorities in Otolaryngology: A Historical Perspective and Analysis of Current Representation.

Over the course of the last century, otolaryngology-head and neck surgery has made significant medical and surgical advancements. Several of these efforts are credited to women and minorities despite their having faced systemic barriers to entering medical schools and the medical professions. This article highlights some of these pioneering doctors and their contributions to the field. Additionally, the current representation of women and minorities in otolaryngology residency programs and the gender and racial disparities in academic positions are reviewed. The need for mentorship during undergraduate medical education to improve diversity and inclusion within this surgical subspecialty is reinforced.