Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with June 2.

Events

1934 – Mary Broadfoot Walker (1888–1974) published a letter to The Lancet, that physostigmine produced a temporary improvement in myasthenia gravis, and suggested that “it may be significant that physostigmine inhibits the action of the esterase that destroys acetylcholine“.

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Births

1924 – Abraham Leo Schamroth (1924-1988), South African cardiologist; described Schamroth window and sign (1976)

1824 – Sir Samuel Wilks (1824–1911), English physician; pioneered the systematic correlation of clinical symptoms with post-mortem findings, performing and publishing over 4500 autopsies

1850 – Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer (1850-1935), English physiologist; described the Schafer method of artificial respiration

1907 – Philip Rowland Allison (1907-1974), English thoracic surgeon; distinguished reflux oesophagitis from true gastric-type ulcers within the oesophagus, and suggested the term “Barrett’s ulcer” for clarity. Performed the first successful British operation for cyanotic congenital heart disease

1914 – Gwilym Bowen “Bill” Lewis (1914-2009), American Orthopedic Surgeon; described Holstein–Lewis fracture (1963)

1924 – Abraham Leo Schamroth (1924-1988), South African cardiologist; described Schamroth window and sign (1976)

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Deaths

1962 – Frederick Parkes Weber (1863-1972), English physician; described Klippel-Trénaunay-Weber syndrome (1900), Pfeifer-Weber-Christian disease (PWCD), Rendu-Osler-Weber disease, Sturge-Weber syndrome and Weber-Cockayne syndrome

1966 – Achille Mario Dogliotti (1897-1966), Italian surgeon; defined Dogliotti’s principle in neuraxial blockade (1931), developed chemical neurolysis for intractible pain, and performed the first successful human operation using total extracorporeal blood circulation.

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Further reading

• Walker MB. Case showing the Effect of Prostigmin on Myasthenia Gravis. Proc R Soc Med. 1935;28(6):759-761.
• Keeney AH, Keeney VT. Mary B. Walker, M.D. and the pioneering use of prostigmin to treat myasthenia gravis. Doc Ophthalmol. 1997;93(1-2):125-134.