26
CLINICAL RADIOLOGY
OBITUARY
George Simon With the death of George Simon radiology the world over has lost one of the greatest and most beloved teachers it has ever been able to claim. Countless students everywhere will remember with gratitude and affection the help that this remarkable man was able, and so willing, to give them. Born in 1902, into a non-medical family, he decided at an early age to become a doctor and he soon showed, by the brilliance of his undergraduate career at Cambridge and St Bartholomew's, that his decision was justified. His original intention of becoming a physician was thwarted - after he had become M.R.C.P. - by the onset, in his mid-twenties of his impending and inevitable deafness. With characteristic firmness he then made the decision to become a radiologist: the clinician's loss was our gain. In spite of this handicap he became known all over the world and was one of the very few English radiologists who has earned an international reputation. George was immensely popular with the students, both pre- and post-graduate. He had an infectious gaiety and enormous enthusiasm; he was kind and modest, and nobody could dream of saying anything unkind to, or about him. He was always a great inspiration to his junior colleagues, encouraging and stimulating them by his keenness. He always made great efforts to remain in close touch with his medical and surgical colleagues; he succeeded, and on their side they came to rely greatly on his judgement and help with difficult radiological problems. He was never happier than when discussing and arguing cases among small groups of colleagues at Barts and the Brompton; he relished argument and never minded being proved wrong. With the exception of administration and medical politics - in which he took little interest - he ranged over the whole field of radiology, coming to concentrate more and more on the chest. It is, I think, as a teacher that George will be most affectionately remembered. For this he had developed his own inimitable technique. No one who was privileged to attend any of his classes, lectures or tutorials will ever forget the enormously stimulating
atmosphere he was able to engender. The classes of this profoundly deaf, ebullient, friendly little man, oozing with enthusiasm, were always well attended, no matter at what time of the day - or night - they took place. Over the years George evolved a unique style of group teaching which came to rely greatly on audience participation, and many a student planting himself in the front row soon had cause to regret his temerity. Intellectually as honest as a summer day is long, he iaevertheless was not above capitalising on his great handicap, either by pretending not to hear an answer or, more devastatingly, by putting into the mouth of a student a suggestion of his own, which he then proceeded to demolish at the student's expense. It was all immensely good humoured, stimulating and informative, and everybody loved him for it. Always dogmatic, and therefore sometimes wrong, he would often galvanise his audience by cries such as 'show me a mottle' or 'I will give you £5 for every case you show me'. He was a true teacher: not imposing his own opinions, but drawing from his audience their views, which he then corrected. As an author and co-author he was prolific, particularly after he had established a partnership at the Brompton with Professor Lynne Reid and others. Together they formed a very powerful team, and for many years a wonderful flow of papers showed the value of clinical, pathological and radiological co-operation. His books spread their influence on both sides of the Atlantic. X-ray Diagnosis (1949) was followed by Principles of Chest X-ray Diagnosis (1956), Principles of Bone X-ray Diagnosis (1960) and The Surface and
Radiological Anatomy (1971 ). His energy was boundless, and even when over 70 he was still travelling around London teaching at at least half a dozen different hospitals. All over the world he was welcomed as a guest teacher, and wherever he visited he did more than anyone to publicise and maintain the high standard of British chest radiology. We shall be lucky if we see his like again. He is survived by his widow and their three children, and by one child of his first marriage. J. W. Pierce
CLINICAL RADIOLOGY
OBITUARY
George Simon With the death of George Simon radiology the world over has lost one of the greatest and most beloved teachers it has ever been able to claim. Countless students everywhere will remember with gratitude and affection the help that this remarkable man was able, and so willing, to give them. Born in 1902, into a non-medical family, he decided at an early age to become a doctor and he soon showed, by the brilliance of his undergraduate career at Cambridge and St Bartholomew's, that his decision was justified. His original intention of becoming a physician was thwarted - after he had become M.R.C.P. - by the onset, in his mid-twenties of his impending and inevitable deafness. With characteristic firmness he then made the decision to become a radiologist: the clinician's loss was our gain. In spite of this handicap he became known all over the world and was one of the very few English radiologists who has earned an international reputation. George was immensely popular with the students, both pre- and post-graduate. He had an infectious gaiety and enormous enthusiasm; he was kind and modest, and nobody could dream of saying anything unkind to, or about him. He was always a great inspiration to his junior colleagues, encouraging and stimulating them by his keenness. He always made great efforts to remain in close touch with his medical and surgical colleagues; he succeeded, and on their side they came to rely greatly on his judgement and help with difficult radiological problems. He was never happier than when discussing and arguing cases among small groups of colleagues at Barts and the Brompton; he relished argument and never minded being proved wrong. With the exception of administration and medical politics - in which he took little interest - he ranged over the whole field of radiology, coming to concentrate more and more on the chest. It is, I think, as a teacher that George will be most affectionately remembered. For this he had developed his own inimitable technique. No one who was privileged to attend any of his classes, lectures or tutorials will ever forget the enormously stimulating
atmosphere he was able to engender. The classes of this profoundly deaf, ebullient, friendly little man, oozing with enthusiasm, were always well attended, no matter at what time of the day - or night - they took place. Over the years George evolved a unique style of group teaching which came to rely greatly on audience participation, and many a student planting himself in the front row soon had cause to regret his temerity. Intellectually as honest as a summer day is long, he iaevertheless was not above capitalising on his great handicap, either by pretending not to hear an answer or, more devastatingly, by putting into the mouth of a student a suggestion of his own, which he then proceeded to demolish at the student's expense. It was all immensely good humoured, stimulating and informative, and everybody loved him for it. Always dogmatic, and therefore sometimes wrong, he would often galvanise his audience by cries such as 'show me a mottle' or 'I will give you £5 for every case you show me'. He was a true teacher: not imposing his own opinions, but drawing from his audience their views, which he then corrected. As an author and co-author he was prolific, particularly after he had established a partnership at the Brompton with Professor Lynne Reid and others. Together they formed a very powerful team, and for many years a wonderful flow of papers showed the value of clinical, pathological and radiological co-operation. His books spread their influence on both sides of the Atlantic. X-ray Diagnosis (1949) was followed by Principles of Chest X-ray Diagnosis (1956), Principles of Bone X-ray Diagnosis (1960) and The Surface and
Radiological Anatomy (1971 ). His energy was boundless, and even when over 70 he was still travelling around London teaching at at least half a dozen different hospitals. All over the world he was welcomed as a guest teacher, and wherever he visited he did more than anyone to publicise and maintain the high standard of British chest radiology. We shall be lucky if we see his like again. He is survived by his widow and their three children, and by one child of his first marriage. J. W. Pierce
