Harvey Cushing's Influence on Norman Dott's Work on Acromegaly: Pituitary Research, Treatment Modalities, and Research Dissemination c.1900-c.1960.

OBJECTIVE

To review Dr. Harvey Cushing's influence on Mr. Norman Dott's work on acromegaly and other subjects surrounding the pituitary gland such as pituitary research, treatment modalities, and research dissemination. Dott was the first Professor of Neurosurgery in Scotland during 1947 and was considered a pioneer of the understanding and treatment modalities for pituitary disorders such as acromegaly. During 1923, he published an article regarding pituitary physiology that won him the award for the Rockefeller Fellowship Trust, to travel to Boston Massachusetts, giving him the opportunity to train under Cushing's supervision for the years of 1923-1924. However, similarities can be seen between Dott's physiology project that was completed before he ever met Cushing, as well as his treatment suggestions for acromegaly, after he had finished his training under Cushing's supervision.

METHODS

This was a historical perspective based on literature review. We reviewed Norman Dott's archives held by University of Edinburgh Library or online sources and we compared these with the work Cushing had previously performed in a chronological fashion. Cushing's work on the pituitary gland and acromegaly can be largely found online, in biographical books, and in other secondary sources. The search included words such as "transsphenoidal surgery," "x-ray," "Harvey Cushing," "Norman Dott," "Acromegaly," "Annual Meetings," and "Pituitary physiology." We excluded any primary sources that were not published between 1900 and 1960 regarding either pituitary physiology or the treatments for acromegaly.

CONCLUSIONS

Sir Norman Dott was the first Professor of Neurosurgery in Scotland during 1947 and is well known for his pioneering work on intracranial aneurysms. Although less well known for his contribution to pituitary pathologies, we would like to share his contribution in this regard and correlate it with Cushing's influence.