The history of paediatric surgery.

Brief, rather incoherent but vivid glimpses of the history of paediatric surgery and medicine in Europe from Antiquity to the present form a backdrop to a short interview with distinguished Dutch paediatric surgeon David Vervat. Historiographically rather dated, but includes much memorable historical iconography of childhood, its diseases and deformities, and some very interesting Dutch archive film of paediatric and orthopaedic surgery from the early C20. Includes: Leonardo da Vinci's human foetus; birth of quadruplets; German painting; Baby Jesus in swadling bands; Succession of swadled babies, looking progressively older, ending with de la Robbia infant taking 1st step; quadruplets from Dordt - 3 swadled adult-looking babies, 1 in shroud lying down. More adults. Children in schoolroom, Hendrik Goldzius 1578. Child with mask (Blankaart). Succession of progressively more modern looking infants, ending with present-day toddler; old medical treatise, Papryus Berlin, musuem 1600 B.C.; Tombstone from British Museum Guy de Chauliac - 15th century. painting apothecary and helper, T. Malfi 1629 - child (naked) assisting at bloodletting. C. d'Amato 1671. Child operating on child, 1775 J.J. Plenck. Photograph Mr. Vervat. Drawing atresia Fockens publication. Operating theatre SKZ showing Dr. V. D. Hoeven. Titlepage Scellinck. Pictures of renal and vessical stones Tulp. Woodcut from Hortus Sanitatus surgeon showing bladder stone he has removed from young boy. Stone cutting instruments. Boy in lithotomy position. Suprapubic bladder operation - litho. Lemoine. C. Bauhin copperplate. U. Aldrovandus woodcut both hermaphroditism. Marie de Marin 1612. Twins from Worms 1495. One-headed twins 1547. Conjoined twins Tulp 1652. Old instruments Scultetus. Painting of young boy assisting at bloodletting. Medieval print Meermanno Museum. Woodcut Hortus Sanitatus child surrounded by doctors. Title page and book by Felix Wurtz. Pictures of bloodletting in children. Pictures blood transfusion showing children as blood donors. Succession of drawings from van Meerkeren's casebook. Picture gastroschisis. Pictures omphalocele. Titelpage Blankaart. Pictures from book. Blankkaart. Tightly swaddled baby. Once again gastroschisis picture. Odd-looking neonate Blankaart. Picture Nicholaas Tulp. Picture spina bifida. Picture of instrument to lift brain case same in use. Pictures of girl with hip luxation. Picture Morgagni. Titlepage. Painting obduction Fredericus Ruysch. Picture showing poor conditions. "Glissonius de Rachitide" 1671. Rickets child with bones sticking out. Child in contraption for rickets. Surgical instruments. hydrocephalus child. Pubertas pracecox. Adrenal tumour. Imperforate anus empyema. Paintings of sick children. Foundling home Florence. Painting sick child. Drawing ward GOR hospital, zooming in to detail. Old pictures of Sophia Children's Hospital. Lithographs from book by J. Cooper Forster. ctures of early incubators. Picture of boy in bathtub filled with icecubes. Pictures of primitive carts and bicycle ambulance. Old picture of femoral fracture. Boy with box on leg. Film of Adrian Foundation Rotterdam. Close-up Dr. Vervat. Intensive Care Ward. Paediatric surgery.