Fanconi and Glanzmann: the men and their works.

Most haematologists will recognize the name Fanconi as that given to the rare form of aplastic anaemia frequently associated with other constitutional abnormalities. When questioned, most would suggest that he was Italian born. The name Glanzmann should kindle memories of that equally rare congenital platelet function disorder and most would guess that he was of Austro-German extraction. In fact, both of these names arose from Switzerland and were paediatricians foremost and, to a lesser extent, haematologists. They represent the early pioneers of paediatric haematology both nationally and internationally but also had a wide range of other clinical interests (Wagner, 1994). The history of paediatrics in Europe is linked with the development of hospital establishments. Before 1850, 25 children’s hospitals already existed, the oldest being the Hôpital des Enfants Malades in Paris (1802), followed by the Paediatric Pavillion of the Charite of Berlin (1830) and those of St. Petersburg (1834), Vienna and Breslau (1837). From 1850 to 1879, a further 67 paediatric hospitals opened in Europe, although many of these were paediatric departments integrated into general hospitals (Ballabriga, 1991). In Britain, Charles West created the Hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond Street, London, in 1852, after founding the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin 25 years before (Higgins, 1952).