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Research Article | DOI: https://doi.org/10.31579/2578-8868/335
Department of Medical and Biological Foundations of Sports and Physical Rehabilitation, The Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University, Nilolaev, Ukraine.
*Corresponding Author: Bugaevsky KA, Department of Medical and Biological Foundations of Sports and Physical Rehabilitation, The Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University, Nilolaev, Ukraine.
Citation: Bugaevsky KA, (2024), Harvey Williams Cushing – Fater of Neurosurgery on Reflexion Philately and Numismatics, J. Neuroscience and Neurological Surgery, 16(2); DOI:10.31579/2578-8868/335
Copyright: ©, 2024, Bugaevsky KA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of The Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Received: 23 August 2024 | Accepted: 06 September 2024 | Published: 13 September 2024
Keywords: harvey williams cushing; historical memory; philately; postage stamps; postal envelopes; maximum cards; numismatics; commemorative medals
In this research article, the author presents the results of his research, thematically related to the preservation of historical memory, about the great scientist and neurosurgeon, with a world-famous name, Harvey Williams Cushing (1869-1939), in the reflection of such means of collecting as philately (postage stamps, artistic stamped envelopes and first day covers, maximum cards), such countries as the USA, Ukraine and Germany, and numismatics - on commemorative, table medals. In total, this article presents 28 screenshot copies of collection materials.
As I have already said many times, any research conducted that concerns various aspects of medicine, its history and outstanding personalities in it, is always relevant and in demand. In particular, the scientific research conducted by the author of this article, dedicated to the life and scientific and medical work of Harvey Williams Cushing, in the reflection of such means of collecting as philately and numismatics, is quite innovative and very exclusive.
The author of this article tried to supplement the already known data about this great doctor and scientist. New facets of data about him, in a completely unconventional form, using screenshots of commemorative medals, postage stamps, artistic stamped symbols and maximum cards dedicated to him. Nevertheless, I would like to devote a few lines to his brief biography. He is a famous neurosurgeon and pioneer in the field of brain surgery. He also made a huge, invaluable contribution to the development of neurosurgery as a separate medical discipline, and therefore, it is no coincidence that he is often called the "father of modern neurosurgery" [1, 2]. He is also the author of the famous Cushing's syndrome and triad, associated with pathology of the human endocrine system - the pituitary gland and adrenal glands. Harvey Williams Cushing had personal and scientific communication and cooperation with the world-famous scientist and specialist in the field of physiology and neurophysiology of the brain and peripheral nervous system, the author of the reflex structure of brain activity, Russian academician, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, with whom he had personal meetings [1, 2]. According to official data, Harvey Williams Cushing performed more than 2,000 operations on brain tumors, and also did a lot in the area of using different types of anesthesia, monitoring blood pressure in neurosurgical patients, introduced a chart of observations of a patient under anesthesia into medical practice, and attracted nurse anesthetists to medical activities. In addition, the scientist was a pioneer and initiator in the use of the "electroknife" or electrocoagulator in neurosurgery [1, 2].
The purpose of this research article is to present the results of the study, thematically related to the issues of reflection and preservation of historical truth, about the life. Medical and research activities, world-famous American doctor and researcher. Harvey Williams Cushing, in the reflection of such means of collecting as philately and numismatics.
Hypothesis of the study
At the beginning of this study, its author put forward a working hypothesis, the essence of which was as follows: there is a certain amount of collection materials that are dedicated to the life and research activities of the father of world neurosurgery, Harvey Williams Cushing - both in the field of philately, on postage stamps, artistic stamped envelopes and first day covers, on maximum cards, as well as in numismatics, on commemorative table medals.
Research objectives
To achieve the goal of the study conducted by the authors, the following tasks were set: 1. Find and familiarize yourself with all available materials directly related to the reflection of information about the life and scientific work of Harvey Williams Cushing, in such means of collecting as philately and numismatics, in all their diversity.
2. Analyze the data obtained as a result of the preliminary search, and systematize all the received collection materials.
3. Transform all the received illustrative material of the article into screenshot copies, accompanying them with the corresponding accompanying text and explanations.
1. Searching the Internet and, in thematic professional publications on neurology, neurosurgery and anesthesiology, and various areas of collecting, any materials directly related to the reflection of data in them, about the life, medical and scientific activities of Harvey Williams Cushing.
2. Selection and systematization of the obtained collection materials, their ordering for further research.
3. Transformation of the discovered thematic materials, illustrative materials used later, into their black-and-white and/or color screenshot copies. 4. Compilation of accompanying text material, a future research article.
In writing this research, its authors used the following research methods: literary-critical analysis of the found research materials, selection and systematization of the illustrative and textual accompanying materials found as a result of the search, their transformation, using a special computer program, into black-and-white and/or color screenshot copies. All found illustrative materials, 23 philatelic and 5 numismatic copies of thematic commemorative table medals, were transformed by the author into their screenshot copies, and those used in this article - into thematic illustrations, with strict observance of copyright and mandatory indication of the sources of their borrowing on the Internet.
I would like to begin my work on preserving the historical memory of the great scientist and doctor, the man who is called the father of neurosurgery, Harvey Cushing, with an introduction to his personality, life and scientific work, as reflected in such philatelic means as a postage stamp, postal envelopes and maximum cards, which are presented in Figure 1 [2-7]. A total of 25 philatelic materials are presented. In the USA, on June 17, 1998, only 1 postage stamp, with a face value of 45 cents, dedicated to Harvey Williams Cushing, and many artistic envelopes, first day covers and special cancellations marked with this stamp were issued [2]. Unfortunately, for all these years, there have been no more philatelic issues dedicated to this scientist in the USA! However, in 2022, the Ukrainian postal service issued a series of postage stamps, small sheets of stamps and postal maximum cards dedicated to Harvey Williams Cushing, which are presented by its author in this article.
Further, in the same figure 1, a selection of 12 artistic stamped US envelopes is presented, built on one principle - on the obverse of such a commemorative first day cover, portraits of the scientist, dates of his life, accompanying plot drawings and, in part, short accompanying comments are placed. On all envelopes, in their upper right corner, a standard US stamp (1988) is placed, with a portrait of the scientist or a quart block (4 identical postage stamps, from a large stamp sheet). Also, on a number of these envelopes, on their back (reverse), a brief description of the life of the scientist and his scientific work and achievements is given [3-5].
Figure 1. US and German postage stamp and envelopes dedicated to Harvey Williams Cushing
Figure 2 shows two maximum maps of the USA dedicated to Harvey Williams Cushing and his scientific and medical activities [6].
Figure 2. US maximum cards dedicated to Harvey Williams Cushing
Figure 3 presents a philatelic selection of postage stamps, small sheetlet/souvenir block of Ukraine, issued in 2018-2020 and dedicated to Harvey Williams Cushing [7].
Figure 3. Philatelic materials of Ukraine dedicated to the memory of Harvey Cushing
Continuing my story about this famous scientist and neurosurgeon, I would like to present, in Figure 4, a small numismatic selection of commemorative table medals dedicated to him [8-14]. This is one rectangular plaque medal and 4 round medals, obverse and reverse, with portraits of the scientist and plot drawings, and inscriptions about events in the field of neurosurgery, depicted on them. The first presented, obverse and reverse, is a round bronze medal by the sculptor ISELIN, Lewis (1913-1990). The obverse of this medal features a portrait of Harvey Williams Cushing, and the reverse bears the inscription that this
is the Second International Congress of Neurosurgery, held in Washington, D.C., in 1961, and a scene of a neurosurgical operation being performed by Harvey Williams Cushing, surrounded by his assistants and students [8, 9, 11].
Next, the second in order, on the obverse and reverse, is a minted bronze medal. Its author, the world-famous sculptor and medalist Avram Belski. The weight of this medal is 62.855 grams, the diameter is 45 mm [10]. Obverse: HARVEY CUSHING/ 1869/ 1939/ NEUROSURGEON/ C ABRAM BELSKIE 1974 PAM - Facing bust in military uniform; in l. field: five pointed star, in r. field: winged caduceus. Reverse: HARVEY CUSHING OPERATING BEFORE/ THE HARVEY CUSHING SOCIETY 1932 - Cushing operating with four assistants, with four observers above, all wearing surgical gowns; to r. A circular seal with crossed laurel branches The bronze plaque presented in the same figure 4, issued in 1932, is one-sided, therefore only its obverse is presented, with the signature under the portrait of the scientist and his dates of life - "Harvey Cushing. Moseley. Professor. Of Surgery/ MCMXII-MCMXXXII". Artist: Paul Adrian Brodeur (American, 1894–1967) [11]. The weight of this medal is 197.33 g.
Next comes a silver commemorative medal with a plot image of a scientist operating with two assistants (2000s). A table medal from the "History of Medicine" series, Great Britain. Along the upper semicircle of the obverse of this medal are the inscriptions - "Surgeon. Teacher. Bibliophile" [11]. On the reverse of this medal, a fragment of the staff of Asclepius is depicted, entwined with a snake, as a symbol of medicine. Further - the name and surname of the scientist, the dates of his life, and the inscription "Founder of modern neurosurgery" are indicated. The weight of this medal is 27.26 g, the diameter is 39 mm.
Furthermore, the award medal named after him for achievements in the field of neurosurgery is also presented. "Awarded to Harvey Cushing, 1932-1933, for Contributions to the Advancement of Surgery" by The Boston Medical Society, and Awarded to Harvey Cushing "for distinguished contributions to surgical science" by The Royal College of Surgeons of England [11-14].
Figure 4. Numismatic collection of commemorative medals dedicated to Harvey Williams Cushing
This concludes another new author's article, thematically devoted to the history of the development and formation of world neurosurgery as a science, as well as to issues of the history of medicine and its heroes, in particular, the life and scientific and practical work of the world-famous neurosurgeon, Harvey Williams Cushing. The author plans another research article on neurosurgery and neurosurgeons, in the reflection of a number of collecting tools, the release of which is planned for the near future.
1. This article presents interesting information about the life and medical, research activities of the American scientist, the father of modern neurosurgery, Harvey Williams Cushing, in a creative, non-standard form, illustrated with the use of screenshot copies, such means of collecting as philately, numismatics, in all their fullness and diversity, presented illustrative materials.
2. The materials of this article can be used for classes on the history of medicine, neurology and a number of other, nasty disciplines in medical and medical-biological universities.
3. The data presented in the article, including extensive illustrative (collection) material, may be of interest not only to collectors, but also to teachers, students of universities, as well as to all interested readers.
4. The author, in his new research work on neurosurgery and the history of medicine and its heroes, has fully achieved the set goal and absolutely confirmed the hypothesis of this study that he put forward.
The author notes the complete absence of any conflicts, both with individuals and legal entities.
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