Sir Morell Mackenzie revisited

Abstract

The story of Sir Morell Mackenzie and his famous patient, Frederick III, Crown Prince of Germany naturally divides itself into four segments: the physician, his famous patient, the illness, and its consequences both medically and historically. The circumstances of Frederick's death have affected us all. Medically, the cause of biopsy for carcinoma of the larynx was set back many years. For generations biopsy was considered unnecessary to the diagnosis. Had Frederick lived and remained Emperor, and had he encouraged Bismarck to continue a more liberal government and constitutional monarchy; had he continued the non-aggression treaty between Russia and Germany; had he honored his pledge to Queen Victoria for a "close and lasting friendship between our two nations," how different our history might have been.

Highlights in the Evolution of Diagnosis and Treatment of Laryngeal Cancer

“…For presentation of this device he was awarded the title of Father of Laryngology. 10,12 Nevertheless, it must be noted that Benjamin Guy Babington, a British physician, had described a similar instrument for the indirect inspection of the human larynx in 1829. It was constructed by an optician named Elsworthy and was presented to the Hunterian Society of London.…”

“… 10,13 Johann Nepamuk Czermak of Budapest changed the shape of the two mirrors of the initial instrument, using a concave collecting mirror held in his teeth, and was the first to employ artificial light in the laryngoscope. 12 The technique of laryngoscopy was introduced in North America in 1858 by Krackowizer, an Austrian immigrant to New York. 14…”

“…10,13 Johann Nepamuk Czermak of Budapest changed the shape of the two mirrors of the initial instrument, using a concave collecting mirror held in his teeth, and was the first to employ artificial light in the laryngoscope. 12 The technique of laryngoscopy was introduced in North America in 1858 by Krackowizer, an Austrian immigrant to New York. 14 Only after construction of adequate examination instruments had made indirect laryngoscopy possible was the preoperative diagnosis of a malignant lesion included in the treatment procedure.…”

“…This led to the death of the liberal Prince Frederick, who was succeeded by a more militaristic and expansionistic political regime, a fact that probably affected all of Europe. 12,16 In addition to its political and military consequences, MacKenzie's failure contributed to the abolition, for a period of more than 40 years, of biopsy as a way to pose the definite diagnosis of laryngeal cancer. 11,20 Alfred Kirstein is considered the first to have performed a direct examination of the interior of the larynx (on April 23, 1895, in Berlin).…”

"Qualidade de vida e a satisfação da comunicação do paciente após a laringectomia total: construção e validação de um instrumento de medida"

“…Em colaboração com Charriere, um produtor de instrumentos cirúrgicos, Garcia projetou um sistema de dois espelhos que nomeou de laringoscópio. Pela apresentação de seu dispositivo, ele foi condecorado com o título de Pai da laringologia(CHALAT, 1984).Não obstante, deve ser notado que Benjamim Guy Babington, um médico britânico, descreveu um instrumento similar para a inspeção indireta da laringe humana em 1829. Este dispositivo foi construído por um ótico chamado Elsworthy e foi apresentado para a sociedade Hunteriana de Londres.…”