Emeritus Professor Joseph E.
Murray (Harward Medical School, USA) is the only Nobel-Prize winner among
plastic surgeons. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1990 for, among other
things, successfully conducting the first kidney transplantation on twins
in 1959. After this, almost one million patients could profit from his
method. Professor Murray conducted much research on the physiology of
kidney transplantation, he became founder and president of many medical
societies. For many years he was president of the American Association of
Plastic Surgeons.
At the opening of the 11th World Congress for Plastic, Reconstructive and
Aesthetic Surgery in Yokohama, on April, 16, 1994, he delivered the
following ceremonial speech:
"Plastic Surgeons in Surgical Progress:
Skin Grafts, Transplantation, Microsurgery and Craniofacial Surgery"
He started off with a circular burn at a female patient's back of the foot,
5 cm wide. He continued with further slides: the surgically cleansed
defect, transplanted skin taken from the patient's body covering the
defect in the process of one day, one week, one month, one year ... Some
of the 1400 plastic surgeons gathering here from all over the world are
stunned: "Why does the Nobel-Prize winner start off his ceremonial speech
with such simple surgical procedures which even the beginners in our
profession are able to conduct?" The answer came with the following slide:
"This is what the wounded foot looks like 20 years on. This Jewish woman
has become my office's best friend. She refered more patients to my
practice than all public relations activities were able to attract. My
dear colleagues, if you manage to win many friends in your offices - then
you are on the right track."
That set the tone. He had started off very low key, very modest. After
that he presented his numerous highlights - even this he did without
pretension but with a philosophical undertone. Meanwhile he defined the
qualities of a good scientist. He counted three:
Curiosity - Phantasy - Endurance
Apparantly, these three qualities are sufficient.
After the 45-minute talk I could not help myself, I had to congratulate
this noble man. With his initial drumbeat he expressed my sentiments
exactly. I will never forget the moment when I felt his hand in my hand:
it was like touching the divine kindness itself. A rather extraterrestrial
feeling.
I wanted to invite him to our Bonn symposiums which take place every
second year. I therefore asked him for his business card. "I don't have
one", he said without any fuss and started writing down his address and
telephone number on my business card. "Do you not have business cards as a
principle?", I asked, not very smart. "I don't have any principles either",
he replied. I must have screwed up my face into the shape of a question
mark. He smiled and went on: "You know, principles are often just patterns
of behaviour which comes into use when stimulated from outside. I prefer
to react with my complete nervous system - as I was somebody else
yesterday, am somebody else today and will be somebody else tomorrow. As
humans we are constantly changing ..." Within five minutes of small-talk,
this unusual person managed to convey to me a kind of knowledge which some
teachers have failed to achieve in five years.
