Who’s Who in Orthopedics as peroneal spastic flat foot and discogenic back
pain; his inexhaustible supply of energy led him not only to complete his memorable work on The Canadian Army Foot Survey, but also to rewrite the whole thesis when the original hand-written draft was stolen; and his unquenchable thirst for knowledge stimulated all the people he trained to search for better solutions to common orthopedic problems and to seek more deeply into their cause.
He well deserved all the honors that were bestowed upon him. In 1949, he was appointed Hunterian Lecturer by the Royal College of Sur- geons of England. In 1955, he became the first Canadian to be appointed Sims Commonwealth Professor. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. In January 1966, he gave the first Gallie Lecture to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The following month he was presented with the Distinguished Service Award of the Ontario Society for Crippled Children. Immedi- ately before his death, he was made an Honorary Chieftain of the Sarcee Indians of Banff, who bestowed on him the title of “Father of the Straight Child” in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the treatment of crippling diseases.
A recitation of R.I. Harris’s achievements in the field of orthopedics, however, describes only a part of the fullness of his life. He was devotedly interested in the history of Canada as a whole and in the history of medicine in particular. Just before his death, he had started a study of John Rolph, the father of Canadian medicine. He took a keen interest in natural history and, as a result of this interest, became one of the leading authorities on rattlesnakes in Canada.
Dr. R.I. Harris died at the age of 76, while attending the annual meeting of the Canadian Orthopedic Association in Banff, Alberta.
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Julius HASS
1885–1959
The death of Julius Hass brought to a close a life full of distinguished service in orthopedic surgery. Because his professional career was divided into two periods, the Austrian and the American, the former being considerably longer than the latter, it would be necessary to have two biographers, one from each country, to do full justice to the importance of his various contribu- tions. I knew him only in the American period.
Julius Hass was born in Vienna and lived and worked there until 1938, when, following the German Anschluss, and at the peak of profes- sional eminence, he became a victim of Nazi per- secution. He determined to abandon his great career and to move to the United States and make a new home for himself and his wife and one son.
He settled in New York City. This decision took great courage because it is always hard to start all over again in a foreign country, especially so for one who had already reached middle age. He had also to leave behind his invaluable records. That he was again able to climb to the summit in pro- fessional regard is proof of his indomitable indus- try, his high professional competence, and his integrity.
Hass received his degree in medicine from the
University of Vienna in 1910. He interned at the
Allgemeines Krankenhaus in Vienna, followed by
an appointment as surgical assistant on the service
of Professor Frank. At the same time he attended
the Roentgen Institute of Dr. Holzknecht, where
he became acquainted with the fundamentals of
bone and joint roentgenology. These studies stim- ulated Hass’s decision to specialize in orthopedic surgery. In 1912 he was appointed to the position of assistant (Hilfsartz) at the Universitäts- Ambulatorium and Abteilung für orthopädische Chirurgie, which was the official title of the Lorenz Clinic. This became his working place for more than a quarter of a century.
His diligence, ambition, knowledge, and surgi- cal skill made him very soon the favorite pupil of his teacher, the great Professor Adolph Lorenz, whose associate and co-worker he subsequently became.
In a recent memorial tribute, Dr. Albert Lorenz, the son of Professor Lorenz, wrote that Hass was the last outstanding pupil of Lorenz: he always advocated Lorenz’s principles of conservative orthopedic surgery that were based on the motto primum non nocere. In 1920 Hass received the venia legendi as Dozent for orthopedic surgery, and in 1929 he succeeded Lorenz with the title of Professor Extraordinarius für Orthopädische Chirurgie.
The scientific papers that Hass published in Europe were on the one hand based on the teach- ings of Adolph Lorenz; in these publications Hass defined, defended, enlarged, and modified with his own observations and experiences: the Lorenz principles of orthopedic surgery. On the other hand, Hass independently presented new and pio- neering contributions of his own to orthopedic surgery, among which were:
1. Tendon transplantation for injuries to the radial nerve. This method, still used in Vienna, consisted in transplanting the flexor carpi ulnaris to the extensor digitorum communis, and the flexor carpi radialis to the extensor policis brevis and abductor policis longus.
2. An arthroplasty for mobilizing ankylosed elbows and knees. This consisted in reshaping of the distal ends of the humerus and femur into bone wedges, which articulated with saucerized surfaces in the distal bones. He used fatty and facial tissue for interposition.
3. His textbook on conservative and operative orthopedics, which was his most important pub- lication. Physicians frequently regret that Lorenz did not write a textbook on orthopedic surgery based on his own concepts and principles; Hass did this for him in writing his book.
Hass was a brilliant speaker and commanded a masterly knowledge of the German language, which, in connection with a pleasant voice that
was easily heard, made him an ideal teacher. He had the gift of clear communication with his audi- ence, and his listeners enjoyed his lectures with enthusiasm.
When Hass arrived in New York City in 1939, he had lost both his professional position and his life savings. For some time he had to sit on the side lines while struggling to pass the State Medical Licensing Board examinations, a terrible task for a man of his seniority. He utilized part of this time in writing medical papers and in getting acquainted with his new environment. He was a constant visitor to the Hospital for Special Surgery where the orthopedic residents and medical staff members quickly learned to make use of his interest and knowledge of congenital dislocation of the hip for their own benefit. In 1941, when he was licensed to practice, he was appointed Chief of the Orthopedic Department at the Montefiore Hospital. He served there until 1947, when he had to retire because of age limi- tations and became consultant to the hospital. He was also appointed consultant to the Hospital for Special Surgery, where he treated most of his private patients who needed hospital care. He was constantly helpful in the treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip and in teaching the resi- dents. Everyone learned to know and respect this quiet-voiced man in whose mind was compressed such wide experience and rich knowledge.
After coming to the United States, Hass made the following important contributions:
1. A type of subtrochanteric osteotomy, which forced the lesser trochanter of the femur into the acetabulum as a means of articulation and pelvic support. This procedure is valuable and is generally designated by the author’s name.
2. A book on congenital dislocation of the hip, which summarized his experience in the treat- ment of over 2,000 patients and surveyed the progress made in the treatment of this condition in a period extending over 50 years. This is the most authoritative review ever written and is bound to occupy an important place in the litera- ture of the subject for years to come. He supple- mented this with additional articles on special aspects of the same subject.
3. Finally, an article written in conjunction with a graduate of the Hospital for Special Surgery, Robert Hass (no relation), describing a remarkable condition of joint instability and recurrent dislocation, which had not hitherto been described.
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Who’s Who in Orthopedics
In 1957, the King Umberto Prize of the Insti- tuto Rizzoli of Bologna, Italy, was awarded to Julius Hass on the basis of his book, Congenital Dislocation of the Hip. This prize is given once every 5 years for the best orthopedic work pub- lished during the period. The award and the gold medal that accompanied it were presented to Hass by the Italian Consul General on the occasion of a special meeting in Hass’s honor, which was held at the Hospital for Special Surgery. This was also an opportunity for his friends and colleagues to show their esteem and regard, which a large number of them did.
Julius Hass had other pleasant memories to look back on besides his professional ones. He had one other passion in addition to orthopedic surgery and that was hunting. In the former days in Austria, every year he made a trip to the Carpathian Mountains region, or other areas, to chase deer. He was a keen shot and an indefati- gable pursuer. His chase often led him long dis- tances over mountain slopes and through snow fields until he caught up with and bagged his prey.
Many trophies of his skill decorated the walls of his home, and he had much pleasure in showing them to his guests and in talking about his hunting trips.
The height of the worldly success was attained through connections he made with various Indian rajahs and princes, beginning in 1932 when the nephew of the Nizam of Hyderabad, and former premier of that country, came to Vienna seeking relief from a disability of the elbow. Julius Hass operated on him with a successful result. Adolph Lorenz wrote about this in his autobiography, My Life and Work, as follows: “I am afraid that my excellent pupil knew better how to perform the operation than to ask a fee worthy of the occa- sion, which would have freed him from care for the rest of his life.” At any rate, this operation established Hass as a surgeon to be seen by any Indian prince who was suffering from an ortho- pedic disability. In 1934 he was invited to make a trip to India and while there he operated on several maharajas and Indian princes. He returned to India in 1938 after leaving Austria, and at that time an offer was made to build an orthopedic hospital after his own plans if he would stay to head it. Hass did not feel able to adjust his life and that of his family to the customs and climate of India and declined the offer. It is needless to say that both trips offered Hass the opportunity of indulging his favorite pastime of hunting. He shot
tigers and other big game from elephants and from lures, and brought back to the United States skins and other trophies.
Julius took great pride in his family and was a charming host. Although he could talk about many things, his overwhelming interest was orthopedic surgery. Professor Julius Hass died on August 17, 1959.
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