Thoughts on a neglected French medieval surgeon: Henri de Mondeville (+/-1260-1320).

Henri de Mondeville's manuscript, presented in this article, is based on an incomplete Latin manuscript, written from 1306 to 1320, translated into French by E. Nicaise and kept in the Manuscript section of the Bibliothbque Nationale de Paris (MS French 2030).

G. Dupuytren's contracture: an inaccurate denomination.

The question of priority in describing 'Dupuytren's disease' as a result of permanent retraction of the palmar aponeurosis has been debated for a long time. This article tries to identify the pioneers who were involved in the research of the origin of permanent contracture of fingers and palm of the hand, and to find out to whom the priority of this affection should be attributed. Selected passages of several authors, as well as of Dupuytren's writings (mainly in italics and translated into English) are used to try and find the truth concerning the primary description of the disease.

[Thoughts on the Revue de Chirurgie Plastique (1931-34) and the Revue de Chirurgie Structive (1935-38)]. / Regards sur la Revue de Chirurgie Plastique (1931-34) et la Revue de Chirurgie Structive (1935-38).

The history of modern plastic surgery starts when a young, restless ENT man, Dr M. Coelst, started a training in Plastic Surgery with Sebileau in Paris and Joseph in Berlin. This man of vision and far-sighted imagination realized that the separated efforts and publications of so many pioneers, scaterred all over the world, would be lost if not gathered in a scientific journal only devoted to plastic surgery for the benefit of all. This brought him to the idea of establishing, in 1931, at his own initiative, the first international Journal of Plastic Surgery ever published, the Revue de Chirurgie Plastique, fifteen years before the USA Journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and sixteen years before the British Journal of Plastic Surgery. The name of the journal was changed in 1935 to the Revue de Chirurgie Structive. Coelst' Revue was promptly accepted as the leading Journal of Plastic Surgery and all the internationally known plastic Surgeons contributed to it by scientific papers of great value, even today.

The scientific contributions of British Plastic Surgeons to the Revue de Chirurgie Plastique and the Revue de Chirurgie Structive, Brussels (1931-1938).

In 1931, Maurice Coelst, M.D. from Brussels started the publication of the first international journal of plastic surgery ever published: the Revue de Chirurgie Plastique (1931-1934), which eventually became the Revue de Chirurgie Structive (1935-1938). In 1936, he established the first European Society of Structive Surgery, which held its first congress in Brussels. Further congresses were held in London in 1937 and in Milan in 1938. It is the collaboration and the participation of British plastic surgeons in this Society, this journal, and these meetings that I want to stress, because I am firmly convinced that these documents fill a gap in the history of Plastic Surgery in Great Britain, since--as far as I know--no detailed information concerning this period was ever published in Plastic Surgery literature.

[From a single vertical scar to vertical mammaplasty. From Louis Dartigues (1869-1940) to Claude Lassus (1933)]. / De la cicatrice verticale unique à la plastie mammaire verticale. De Louis Dartigues (1869-1940) à Claude Lassus (1933).

The cutaneous sequelae left by mammaplasties have always constituted a major problem as well for the patients as for the surgeons. Since the turn of the century and the birth of modern mammary corrections, surgeons have tried to reduce these scars, while avoiding the impairment of the vascularisation of the mammary gland, the nipple-areola complex and the skin. L. Dartigues proposed, in 1924, the use of a single subareolar vertical scar for the correction of limited mammary ptosis. F. Lötsch introduced, in 1923, the rudiments of the future vertical mammaplasty by associating a peri-areolar scar to the single vertical subareolar scar. In 1971, C. Lassus, who had become interested and had been using Lötsch's technique since 1964, abandoned the technique for a while, but returned to these basic technique of Lötsch which he modified over the years and made it applicable in 1980 to ptosed and most hypertrophied breasts. This article is also concerned with the historic evolution of the scars left by mammary corrections and with the mastopexy procedures.

Scientific contributions of U.S. plastic surgeons to the Revue de Chirurgie Plastique and the Revue de Chirurgie Structive, Brussels (1931-1938).

The author emphasizes the close cooperation between U.S. plastic surgeons and the first international journal entirely devoted to plastic surgery, the Revue de Chirurgie Plastique (1931-1934) later to become the Revue de Chirurgie Structive (1935-1938) published under the editorship of Maurice Coelst, M.D. from Brussels. By the accurate recording of original articles, book reviews, proceedings of their annual meetings and summaries in three different languages (English, French, German), the author stresses the intense scientific dynamism and the achievements made by the U.S. pioneers of this new speciality, which really started during World War I.

[The life of Maurice Virenque (1888-1946). From "Gueules Cassées" to cervicofacial facelift]. / A la rencontre de Maurice Virenque (1888-1946). Des "Gueules cassées" au lifting cervico-facial.

When going through the biography and bibliography of M. Virenque, one realizes that he was an outstanding maxillo-facial surgeon, who developed his knowledge mainly during the two world wars 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 and gave exceptional care to soldiers with severe face and skull injuries, the so-called "Gueules Cassées". Nevertheless, he did not disregard the importance of aesthetic surgery born between the two wars. Due to his large experience in maxillo-facial surgery and his broad knowledge of the anatomy of the face, he occupies a special place among the forerunners of facelifts by stressing on the importance of plication of the deep aponeurotic layers of the face, thus allowing the elaboration of a modified approach to the problems of the aging face.

J. G. Hierzel: a lip-switch flap in 1756.

After reviewing the historical aspects of the various lip-switch flaps, the authors draw attention to the existence of a report of a lip-switch flap performed in Sweden in 1756 by J.G.Hierzel.

Harelip surgery in ancient China: further investigations.

The various statements of medical historians concerning harelip surgery in Ancient China have been studied with the help of eminent historians and based on reliable documents. The text of the Chin Shu adds a very important contribution to our knowledge of ancient cleft lip repair: the first use of the word harelip, the first short but rather accurate description of the operation and the postoperative care, and the social and psychological impact of facial disfigurement. The assertion regarding Fang Kan as the doctor of lip repair during the T'ang Dynasty turned out to be completely erroneous. Fang Kan was a poet whose life and lack of acceptance were dominated by his external appearance: a harelip deformity that was operated on late in life.

Milestones in congenital cleft palate craft

A historical review is made of the various concepts involved in the treatment of congenital palate. For centuries, it was belived that cleft palates were the result of syphilis or some infectious process: at that time, no surgery was attempted and obturators were used. In the first part of the 19th century, the first attempts were made to close surgically the soft palate and some time later also the hard palate. The speech anormalies which were not improved by the first types of operation and the study of speech mechanism led the surgeons to devise more sophisticated procedures to lengthen the soft palate or to the secure the soft palate to the pharyngeal wall in order to overcome the palatopharyngeal insufficiency

[The contributions of Julien Bourguet (1876-1952) to frontocervicofacial lifting. Historical aspects of the first face lift]. / Les apports de Julien Bourguet (1876-1952) au lifting fronto-cervico-facial. Aspects historiques des premiers liftings du visage.

The author devotes this article to the contributions of Julien Bourguet to the medical literature and mainly to facelift operations. In studying the bibliography of J. Bourguet, one is impressed by the variety of his interests in all problems of facial pathology: ENT, Ophthalmic Surgery, Maxillo-facial surgery, Neurosurgery, Plastic and Aesthetic surgery, as well as surgical disorders of the brain and mainly the hypophysis. The main goal of the article is the study of the contributions of Julien Bourguet to plastic esthetic surgery of the face and mainly to his original concepts and techniques in face lifting operations and blepharoplasties where he can be considered to be real pioneer and even the father of modern face lifting operations.

Cleft lip surgery in Anglo-Saxon Britain: the Leech Book (circa A.D. 920).

The Leech Book, the oldest known Anglo-Saxon herbarium, probably written in Winchester, circa A.D. 920, by Cyril Bald or at his special request, contains a short chapter on the surgical treatment of the cleft lip; this chapter apparently represents the first record in a medical manuscript of this treatment. The original Anglo-Saxon text is presented together with transcriptions into more modern English. The general value of the Leech Book is briefly studied.

Effect of fenoterol on small airways and regional lung function in asymptomatic asthma.

Lung function tests for small airways were performed before and after inhalation of fenoterol by 11 young asymptomatic asthmatics and in 8 control subjects. In the asthmatics, minimal impairment in the tests was found except for increased expansion of the lower part of the lung (133Xe regional lung volumes) and an "abnormal" distribution pattern of a bolus of Xe inhaled from the residual volume. This suggests enhanced airway closure, especially in the lower area of the lung. Usual therapeutic doses of fenoterol (0.4 to 0.6 mg in puffs) could not correct these abnormalities, but 1.2 mg given to 2 patients resulted in changes similar to those observed in normals. The results suggest that small airway impairment in asymptomatic asthmatics is not only related to enhanced bronchomotor tone, but also to anatomical changes located especially at the base of the lung.

[Mammary reconstruction after resection (author's transl)]. / Reconstruction mammaire après chirurgie d'exérèse.

The authors present 44 cases of mammary reconstruction after sub-cutaneous mastectomies (16 cases), modified radical mastectomies (20 cases) and total radical mastectomies (8 cases). The implantation of a prosthesis is always performed a few months after sub-cutaneous mastectomy to avoid the numerous complications. Implantation of a prosthesis after a modified radical mastectomy (conservation of the pectoral muscles) yields excellent results. The authors graft the areola-nipple complex of the mastectomised breast on the abdominal skin, each time that they are sure of its integrity. At the later implantation of the mammary prosthesis, they perform a reduction or remodeling of the controlateral breast, if indicated. The total radical mastectomy without radiation generally allows implantation of a prosthesis without additional use of skin flaps or musculo-cutaneous skin flaps. Sequellea of radiodystrophy may impose preliminary cutaneous or musculo-cutaneous skinflaps with inferior esthetic results.