The Inaugural Karel B. AbsolonFiistory of Medicine LectureDEPARTMENT OF SURGERYOur honored guest and speaker this evening is Dr. Karel B.Absolon. A 1952 graduate of the Yale University School of Medi-cine, Dr. Absolon has made important contributions both as asurgeon and as an historian of medicine. He worked with colleagues at the Uni-versity of Minnesota including J. Bradley Aust and C. Walton Lillehei to per-form pioneering coronary bypass surgery (1955) and the first human livertransplant (1965). He pioneered the use of colon grafts in patients sufferingak nar rate laa agi des from epidermolysis bullosa (1970) and was the first to use synthetic grafts toachieve extrathoracic auxillary-iliac bypass of the descending thoracic aorta (1975). In addition, Dr. Absolon has authoredover 500 published articles and over twenty books.Karel Absolon's interest in history was nurtured by the rich cultural environment of Brno, Czechoslovakia where he wasborn on March 21, 1926 to a family that boasts five generations of physicians. His father was a famous explorer of cavesand the founder of Brno's anthropological museum. It is not surprising then, that Dr. Absolon's own first publication wasabout caves and underground rivers in Czechoslovakia. Although he has received numerous certificates, medals, andawards, Dr. Absolon considers the most important document he has ever received to be a 1948 summons from the Sovietgovernment ordering him to abandon his study of medicine and report for hard labor - an assignment intended to im-prove his attitude. In his determined quest for scientific truth, young Karel had argued to his biology teacher that GregorMendel's genetic theory was superior to that of T. Denisovich Lysenko, the geneticist favored by the Soviets. This sum-mons was Karel's signal to bid his homeland farewell. He escaped Czechoslovakia and immigrated to America.Once enrolled at Yale University, Dr. Absolon's interest in the history of medicine was re-kindled by Professor John F.Fulton. Later, in Minnesota, the prominent surgeon Owen H. Wangensteen prompted him to investigate the life andwork of Theodor Billroth. This early research led to the production of Dr. Absolon's four-volume biography of Billroth,The Surgeon''s Surgeon (1979). Dr. Absolon's intensive study of Billroth has provided him numerous adventures. One ofthese led to his discovery of an important oil painting depicting Billroth in his surgery theater. The painting, found in acustodian's closet covered in dust, is now prominently displayed in the library of the surgery clinic in Vienna. In additionto his historical pursuit, Dr. Absolon is owner and editor of Kabel Publishers, a private publishing company in Rockville,Maryland.Dr. Absolon's own library includes over 2,000 items relevant to medical history with concentrations in the areas ofanatomy, surgery, genetics, microbiology, and military medicine. We are delighted that he has indicated his intention todonate this library, The Karel B. Absolon History of Medicine Library, to the History Collections of the William E.Laupus Health Sciences Library.Dr. Absolon's current research is focused on Gregor Mendel and the history of genetics. Tonight he will present to us,"In the Footpath of Gregor Mendel-The Founder of Genetics". This lecture is the inaugural lecture of the annual Karel B.Absolon History of Medicine Lecture Series sponsored by the ECU Department of Surgery. It is a special privilege tobegin this series today on March 21, 2001, the day of Dr. Absolon's seventy-fifth birthday.Individuals with disabilities who require accommodation in order to participate inany event at ECU are encouraged to contact the Department for DisabilitySupport Services at 252.328.4802 (Voice/TDD) forty-eight hours prior to thestart of the program.Printed on recycled paper. 100 copies were printed at a cost of $7.00, or $.07 a copy.EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITYBRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE