Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with March 22.

Events

1687 – Death by musical misadventure. Composer and court musician Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687) died from gangrene after injuring his foot while conducting with a heavy staff (an early baton) during a Te Deum celebrating Louis XIV’s recovery. Amputation was advised but refused, and the infection progressed fatally.

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Births

1909 – Margaret Burton Horan (1909-2004), Australian paediatrician; described Nance-Horan syndrome (1974)

2004 – Freida ‘Yarmalinsky‘ Young (1910-2004), English physician and pathologist; described Dyke-Young anaemia (1938)

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Deaths

1924 – Sir William Macewen (1848–1924), Scottish surgeon and pioneer of modern neurosurgery. Described Macewen’s Sign (1893), Macewen’s Osteotomy and Macewen’s Osteotome (1879) and Macewen’s Triangle (1893)

1927 – Charles Foix (1882-1927), French neurologist. Described Marie–Foix Syndrome (1913), Foix-Alajouanine syndrome (1926), and Marie–Foix–Alajouanine syndrome (1922)

1953 – Alfred Fröhlich (1871-1953), Austrian neurologist; described Babinski–Fröhlich Syndrome (1901)

1993 – Edith Louise Potter (1901-1993), American pediatric pathologist. Described Potter facies of renal agenesis (1946) and the Potter classification of polycystic kidney disease (1964)

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Further reading

• A fateful anniversary for Lully Your Classical, January 8, 2025