The Retrospectoscope

The LARnxsoscoPE-The First 100 Years

byByronJ. Bailey, MD, Editor

ith this issue o f The LARYNGOSCOPE we launch the yearlong celebration of 100 W years of continuous publication of out-

standing medical scientific literature. We have timed our 13 Centennial Issues to coincide with the annu- al meeting o f the Triological Society in 1996 and 1997.

The LARYNGOSCOPE published Volume 1, Num- ber 1 in July 1896 under the leadership of Max A. Goldstein, MD, and Frank M. Rumbold, MD, both of whom practiced in St. Louis. On the masthead of the journal they described themselves 21s “editors and proprietors.” The cost o f ;I subscription to the journal in 1896 was $2.00 per iinnum. Their first edi- torial described succinctly the thinking behind their decision for the name of the new journal.

“Our Name” “What’s in a name?” The name is the “title by

which any person or thing is known, understood or spoken of.” It was not an easy task to select a com- prehensive single word, descriptive of the trio of specialties to which the journal will be devoted.

The word “laryngoscope” was a term formerly applied only t o the mirror employed in the exami- nation o f the larynx; but with the progress of the studies of the upper air pass;iljes, this instrument became of use in the examination o f other cavities, until now the complex illuminating apparatus de- signed by Mackenzie, Tobold, I%ezold. et al., oper- ated b y lamp, gas o r electricity, styled the “laryngtr scope,” would broadly designate an illuminating instrument for use in the exaniination o f diseases of the nose, throat and ear.

With this explanatory remark for the use of tlir name, we beg leave to introduce The LAHYNGO- SCOPE to the medical profession.

We are excited about the plans for the coming year and want to share with you what we have in store. During the next 13 months our Centennial cel- ebration will highlight the following:

1. Classiafiom ‘Ihe LARMvmscom. We have se- lected from the articles published in The LAHYNGO- SCOPE, those which have appeared most frequently as citations in the published works of subsequent nu- thors. These articles generally represent a turning point in our knowledge and our concept o f impor- tant basic science foundations or clinical entities within our specialty. We have chosen contemporary experts and invited them to provide us with a per- spective and an update of these landmark articles. (The first article in this series appears on page 533, and is entitled “Lorente de No’s ‘Anatomy o f the Eighth Nerve. I. The Central Projection of the Nerve Endings of the Internal Ear; 111. General Plan of Stnic- ture of the Primary Cochlear Nuclei’ ” by Dr. Harold C. Pillsbury.)

2. A Century of Progress. Leaders within our specialty have been invited to summarize the evolu- tion of important activities and subspecialties within our field. These articles will illuminate the historical evolution of each subject area in a summary form (the first of these appears on page 529, under the title “Evolution of Research in Otolaryngology-Hcad and Neck Surgery Over the Past Century” and has

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I I been prepared for us by Dr.

James R. Snow, Director, Nation- al Institute on Deafness and Other Communication I >isorders 1.

3. The Retrospectascope. This will he a series of Centennial editorials and retrospective commen- taries prepared by the editor and drawn from the rich assortment of background material available in the early years of The LA~mc;oscor~.

4. Centenniul Hightlights. These items will be original articles that focus on important aspects of our history as a specialty. The first of these appears on page 535, and is entitled "A Tribute to Max Gold- stein, MI>, Founder and Editor of The LARYNGO- SCX )W."

5. Advertisements in The LAuwc;o.mwi. This feature will consist of interesting, amusing, and occa-

s i o n a l l y I provoca- tive examples of advertising that have appeared in The LAHYNGOSCCWA. These have been selected by Victoria L. Harrison, Advertising Manager of The LAKY NGOSC(I)PE.

I want to take this opportunity to express pub- licly my gratitude and appreciation for the creativity and hard work of the staff in the publication and business office in St. Louis. My thanks also t o Robert Miller, MD, Rick Pillsbury, MI), Frank E. Luccntc, MD, and Dan Henroid for their ideas and h;rrd work in developing these Centennial celehrAtion featcires. We are deeply indebted to the many authors whose contributions to this Centennial celebration will lie appearing in these pages over the coming year.

Laryngoscope 106: May 1996

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