Author: Semon Lecture Trust

Professor Sir Charles Herbert Stuart-Harris delivered his Semon Lecture on October 31st 1963 at the Royal Society of Medicine. Within this lecture, he gives a self-proclaimed ‘progress report’ on the current knowledge of acute respiratory infections in childhood due to viruses. He also highlights that despite a speeding up of discovery, there are still large … Continue reading “Acute Respiratory Virus Infections of Childhood”

Professor Carl-Axel Hamberger gave his Semon Lecture on the 1st of November 1962 at the Royal Society of Medicine. In this, he spoke about the transantrosphenoidal route and its importance, before going on to discuss the various presurgical considerations that had to be made, and ending with an exploration of some of the complications of … Continue reading “Transantrosphenoidal Hypophysectomy”

Mr Charles Paul Wilson presented his Semon Lecture on the 2nd of November 1961 at the Royal Society of Medicine. In this, he gave a general description of the causes, diagnostic techniques and treatment of pharyngeal diverticula. He then goes on to discuss unpublished work on the abnormal action of secondary swallowing in a patient … Continue reading “Pharyngeal Diverticula, their Cause and Treatment”

Dr Paul Henry Holinger gave his Semon Lecture on the 3rd of November 1960. Within this, he outlined congenital otolaryngological defects and touched on their treatments. He also placed emphasis on the use of endoscopic diagnostic procedures and the collaboration between otolaryngologists and paediatric surgeons specifically, and between general medicine, surgery and otolaryngology in general. … Continue reading “Clinical Aspects of Congenital Anomalies of the Larynx, Trachea, Bronchi and Oesophagus”

Professor Victor Francis Lambert presented his Semon Lecture in 1959. He gave a general description of the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of post-nasal tumors, with warning that histological diagnosis is frequently inaccurate and that diagnosis is often far too late, therefore highlighting that more attention to early signs is needed. Journal article version of the … Continue reading “Malignant Disease of the Post Nasal Space”

Professor Lucius Rüedi delivered his Semon Lecture on the 6th of November 1958 at the Royal Society of Medicine. Through this, he outlines the histology of the larynx, common sites of pathologies, and the process of regeneration after injury or illness. He also showed a high speed video countering Georges Portmann’s clonic theory by demonstrating … Continue reading “Some Observations on the Histology and Functions of the Larynx”

Mr Frederick Cecil Wray Capps presented his Semon Lecture in 1957. During this lecture, he revisits Felix Semon and later Adam Kelly’s work on the innervation of the larynx. He compares and contrasts their theories and then outlines some causes of paralysis of the abductor muscles of the larynx and notes their treatment. Journal article … Continue reading “Abductor Paralysis – Theory and Practice Since Semon”

Professor Georges Portmann delivered his Semon lecture on November 1st 1956 at the Royal Society of Medicine. During his talk, he outlines the physiology of phonation, noting that the ‘tonic’ theory is incomplete and proposes the ‘clonic’ theory. Namely, it is not the stream of air which produces vibration of the vocal cords, but the … Continue reading “The Physiology of Phonation”

Lord Edgar Douglas Adrian delivered his Semon Lecture on November 3rd 1955. In this, he outlines the way in which olfactory information is signalled to the brain, the process of excitation and transmission of impulses, and finally the details of olfactory discharge. Journal article version of the lecture Edgar Adrian was born on the 30th … Continue reading “The Action of the Mammalian Olfactory Organ”

Professor Eelco Huizinga delivered his Semon Lecture in 1954. During his lecture, he proposes the use of a new term, bronchological pneumonology, emphasising the fact that pulmonary abnormalities are often the result of bronchial affection, like broncho-stenosis. He also advocates the use of bronchoscopy in the investigation of pulmonary affections. Journal article version of the … Continue reading “Bronchological Pneumonology”