Problems in Operability

I want first to thank Mr. Fraser and other responsible individuals for the honour conferred upon me by inviting me to give the Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon lecture. I consider this a great honour-and doubly so since I have been invited to give the first of the series. Since coming to Belfast I have had the opportunity and privilege of learning a great deal about Sir Thomas Dixon. It is difficult to understand how one person could find the time, and more important, possess the ability to take the leading part in so many activities devoted to the welfare of his fellow-men. Although busy in the Government of Northern Ireland, he found time to serve on innumerable commissions and committees which were devoted to public service. The medical profession, and in fact all the citizens of this community are particularly indebted to Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon for the gift of their home as a hospital. Although the major purpose of this lecture today is to honour the memory of Sir Thomas Dixon, I want to pay particular tribute to Lady Dixon for lher foresight, for her thoughtfulness, and benevolence in establishing this lectureship. Medicine owes a lasting debt of gratitude to such benefactors. May we, in the medical profession, be worthy of their trust. I want you to know that I shall always be very grateful for the honour you have bestowed upon me today. ALL of us are aware of the great improvement made in the operative mortality rate during the past two or three decades. Perhaps the greatest single factor in the lowering of the rate is a better understanding of surgical physiology. Likewise important is the improvement in our ability to determine operability, although it must be admitted our knowledge in this field is woefully inadequate. Part of my tlheme today is the urgent request to pay more attention to operability and not inflict an operative load upon a patient which he cannot tolerate. We realize, of course, that one patient may tolerate a given operation better or worse than another; accordingly, we must make all possible effort to improve operability particularly since unexpected complications are so apt to develop following operation of great magnitude.