IN
MEMORIAM
LEON
GILI.IS
1908-1967
The
name
amputation
suggests
the
of
Leon
Gillis
surgery
in Great
other.
Equally
is so
Britain
closely
that
associated
mention
is he identified
with
of the
with
Queen
most
the
one,
development
in surgical
Mary’s
Hospital,
almost
with
twenty-five
Gillis
and
was
born
in
Witwatersrand
but
like
stayed
pletely
acclimatised
lost
native
England
at
1935.
He
many
here
his
University
held
three
General
the
as
rest
Africa.
His
as orthopaedic
the Royal
Liverpool
was literally
no time
M.Ch.(Orth.)
at
followed
a rather
of his
and
examination
however,
he took
the
Edinburgh
Com-
first
he
yet
to,
his
appointment
house
surgeon
in
in
Children’s
Hospital,
and it
at all before
he took
the
Liverpool
curious
for the
fellowship
life.
loyalty
University.
deviation
from
appeared
to be his chosen
career
appointments
in oto-laryngology
in orthopaedics,
ex-
Dominion
Englishman,
for,
of
house
Hospital
young
an
1908
postgraduate
another
for
in
the
for
affection
South
was
for
Johannesburg
to England
doctor
never
in
in Johannesburg
came
and
which
single-mindedness
medicine
in
then
perience,
and
and
years.
qualified
appointments
where
life was spent
loyalty
modern
immediately
Roehampton,
of his professional
he served
of
circles,
D.L.O.
in 1942
and
: he took
and passed
in 1940.
the
Then
what
Soon
English
two
the
back
fellowship
in 1945.
He learnt
traumatic
surgery
the hard way in Birkenhead
Municipal
Hospital
while
Birkenhead
was the target
for heavy
German
bombing
raids.
In 1943, after a short
period
in
lpswich,
he came to London
as orthopaedic
surgeon
to Queen
Mary’s
Hospital,
Roehampton.
Queen
primarily
echelons
pensioners
Mary’s
for
of
the
was
care
at
of
ex-servicemen
and
the
that
time
wounded
run
directly
ex-servicemen.
owed
their
responsibility
the
Here
rehabilitation
of the
by
to
country
Ministry
he
his
of
found
skill
to provide
his
and
them
Pensions
and
m#{233}tier, and
care.
with
The
the
existed
successive
needs
highest
of
war
possible
standards
of medical
care were always
in the forefront
of his thoughts,
and continued
to hold
his enthusiasm
and devotion
after Queen
Mary’s
became
a general
hospital
serving
the local
population.
A large proportion
of his ex-service
patients
had either
lost limbs
in action
or
required
field.
He
operation,
and
skill
amputation
later,
so that
it was
perhaps
was one of the first to see amputation
and to insist that the surgeon
who
necessary
to
plan
the
whole
process
natural
that
he
and limb fitting
amputates
a limb
of
rehabilitation.
should
make
this
as inseparable
should
have
He
wrote
his
special
parts of one
the knowledge
two
books
on
this
subject-Amputations
(1945)
and
Artificial
Limbs
(1947)-and
both
have
become
standard
works.
His opinion
and advice
on special
problems
in amputation
and limb
fitting
were
sought
by orthopaedic,
vascular
and general
surgeons
all over England
and from
overseas.
His orthopaedic
interests,
however,
were by no means
confined
to amputations.
He did
216
THE
JOURNAL
OF
BONE
AND
JOINT
SURGERY
217
IN MEMORIAM
original
work,
explored
treatment
particularly
in the
biomechanical
cine-radiological
techniques,
ofchronic
osteomyelitis.
deformities,
even
contributions
He had
before
escaped
his attention.
energy.
surgeon
In addition
to the East
Battersea.
He
Roehampton
attendance
thalidomide
was
teacher,
as
a long
its
dark
shadow
teaching,
also
consultant
succession
on
to
the
Ministry
of
his
of
will
arthroplasty,
and
made
on
the
limb
valuable
at Roehampton.
of professional
claims
in
activity
his
time
and
Health’s
Limb
he found
children.
testify,
and
his
Fellowship
British
Fitting
Centre
at
time too for regular
He was a stimulating
biannual
postgraduate
examination,
Chapter
ofthe
but from
International
of Surgeons,
and also of the South
African
College
of Surgeons
and Physicians.
He
on two hospital
management
committees,
and on the orthopaedic
advisory
committee
North-East
Metropolitan
Regional
Hospital
Board.
He wrote
prolifically-original
contributions
to nursing
journals,
chapters
in at least
ten major
textbooks,
the
textbooks
already
publication
England,
mentioned-and
had
he
a
textbook
of
orthopaedic
diagnosis
when
he died.
He was an active
member
of the Royal
College
and was three
times
honoured
by the College-by
the Arris
and
a Hunterian
in 1948,
professorship
in 1956 and
the Joseph
In 1947 he was honoured
by the award
of the M.B.E.
Few could
have spent themselves
more
unremittingly
and it is hard to resist the thought
that he burnt
himself
years
scene,
Unit
aspect
Somehow
handicapped
registrars
of hip
until
1961 consultant
orthopaedic
Hospital
and St John’s
Hospital,
courses
were in demand,
not only for candidates
for the
established
consultants
too.
He was a founder
fellow ofthe
College
served
of the
papers,
the
made
he was
Barking
adviser
to the Treasury.
school
for physically
days
of hyperbaric
oxygen
knowledge
of congenital
administration-all
work
at Roehampton
Memorial
Hospital,
and surgical
at the Greenmead
early
at the Children’s
Prosthetic
surgery,
but within
it no
Research,
to his
Ham
in the
showed
the value
also an unrivalled
cast
to their management
few interests
outside
field,
and
He had
he
was
increasingly
restricted
by
ill health,
but
Henry
out
he
Memorial
awaiting
of Surgeons
Gale lectureship
lectureship
in 1960.
in the service
of surgery
than
before
his time.
In his last
fought
most
gallantly
of
he,
few
against
it.
Finally,
faced with the choice
between
resignation
from all surgical
activity
and the acceptance
of an operation
whose
high
risk he fully appreciated,
he bravely
and clear-sightedly
chose
the
latter.
We mourn
his passing,
saluting
the single-minded
enthusiasm
with which
he lived his
life
and
the
courage
with
which
he
met
its end.
ANTHONY
A. G. R.
MORRICE
HENDRY
1896-1967
Tony
who
Hendry
trained
will
at Oswestry
generosity,
his
insistence
be remembered
and
on
with
in Birmingham
the
importance
great
affection
for
by the
his warm-hearted
of
basic
principles
many
orthopaedic
friendship,
and,
in
surgeons
his self-effaci’ig
an era of rapid
biomechanical
development,
his firm adherence
to conservative
measures,
especially
in hip
surgery.
He was born at Fraserburgh,
Aberdeenshire,
on November
1 1 , 1 896, and was educated
at Fraserburgh
Academy
and the University
of Aberdeen
Medical
School.
After preliminary
work
in Aberdeen,
he was appointed
resident
surgical
officer
in the Ministry
of Pensions
Hospital,
Highbury,
Birmingham.
This was the turning
point of his career
because
he worked
under
the late Naughton
Dunn
and through
him came
under
the influence
of the late Sir
Robert
Jones.
In 1930 he was appointed
Assistant
Orthopaedic
Surgeon
to the Robert
Jones
and Agnes
Hunt
Hospital
at Oswestry,
and eventually
he became
chief of the Shrewsbury
firm.
His early training
had included
a great deal of foot surgery,
in which
he became
a master
and
must
VOL.
50 B,
be acknowledged
NO.
1,
FEBRUARY
as one
1968
of the
foremost
authorities
of our
time.
In this
branch
218
IN MEMORIAM
his
technique
their
was
ability
all
who
superb
and
and
above
worked
he
all their
with
him
and
never
let
his
judgement
his
assistants
off
matched
immediate
his
assistant
largely
-
he
was
sustained
succeeded
satisfied
interest
him
knowledge
movement
loss
he contributed
to orthopaedic
so
little
in writing.
Royal
many
Birmingham
he joined
the staff of the
Orthopaedic
Hospital.
Here he attracted
young
Scottish
orthopaedic
surgeons
to
come
south
for
Bromsgrove,
and
their
training.
at
in the
During
the
Emergency
Derwen
As a result,
ships
with
the
these
centres.
Bone
Americans
His
who
wartime
on
at
county
the
in lawn
he
ground
culture,
which
preferred
the
he joined
the
up to the
time
became
his
role
of
Warwickshire
of his last
chief
garden
led
treatment
and
Joint
spectator
to
Cricket
illness.
that
Club
Cricket
of
and
of residual
a daughter
and
two
sons.
becoming
a constant
probably
aroused
attender
his interest
speciality.
and held a number
was allowed
to get
no patient
should
ever be refused
admission
to his clinics,
however
He was tenacious
in argument,
wise in his judgement,
far-seeing
and always
fair and encouraging
to his juniors,
thus earning
their deep
to see him at meetings
of the British
Orthopaedic
Association
surrounded
old registrars,
all anxious
to greet their old chief and demonstrate
their
He died on September
10, 1967, in the Queen
Elizabeth
Hospital,
wife,
and football
As his work
participator;
was
that
by his
in
him
plexus injuries
in the first
Edition
of the Journal
of
Surgerv,
still one of the most
was never
in a hurry
and would
sit for hours
drinking
innumerable
cups
the problems
dear to his heart,
spiced
at intervals
by amusing
anecdotes.
and kindness
to his patients
were proverbial,
and he abhorred
the appointments
survived
served
experience
the
at
friend-
after brachial
of the British
A keen freemason,
he was a member
of several
lodges
But above
all his first love was surgery,
and nothing
circle
Service
lasting
authoritative
on this subject.
As a youth
he played
tennis
and was no indifferent
performer.
however,
war
Centre
he formed
many
an article
paralysis
volume
in cricket,
the
Medical
Rehabilitation
Gobowen.
to write
interested
and
he served,
in addition
to his civil commitments
at Barnsley
Hall
War
Emergency
Hospital,
#{182}
increased,
that
affected
is contributing
of foot
It is a great
that
In
-
-
until
His
problems.
surgery
-
rein
who
to our
gait
‘-
the
own.
He
will
be greatly
of high offices.
in its way.
He
of tea discussing
His affection
for
system,
feeling
trivial
his complaint.
in matters
of policy
respect.
It was a joy
by hordes
of his
affection
and loyalty.
Birmingham,
and is
missed
by a world-wide
of friends.
F. G. A.
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