Blood, sweat and cheers

Blood, sweat and cheers. By Ian Fraser. (pp 150. £.14.95. Inland f£17.50; Abroad $29.00 USA). London: British Medical Journal, The Memoir Club, 1989. The Memoir Club has already published in this series recollections of various distinguished medical personalities Sir Christopher Booth, Sir Douglas Black, Dr Moran Campbell, Sir James Howie and Lord Taylor. It is happy and appropriate as far as Ulster is concerned, that Ian Fraser should have been asked to contribute to this series. The book throughout is intensely modest and without any form of pretence (not a mention of Knighthood or DSO). Starting with his childhood background in the home of his father, a single handed general practitioner, his lifelong love of medicine is described from its beginnings and this background, in what was once the core of the profession, explains his commitment to medical care and the philosophy of endurance with the work -load that medicine sometimes entails. The journey through a long happy life continues through medical student days at Queen's, early postgraduate experience, World War II and as an Army Surgeon in Africa, Sicily, Italy, Arromanche and the Far East. Personalities described such as Lord Porritt, Lady Mountbatten, General Auchinleck contacts such as this explain why so many of us see him as the best ambassador that Ulster medicine has ever had. After the war, the return to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and the Royal Victoria Hospital, and an interesting account of the changes in the practise of surgery. Some of this later period is within the memory of Ulster Medical Society members and need not be recounted. The "heart" of Sir Ian's story lies in the anecdotes: "the airman who saw his own funeral", "the elderly lady with the owl", "travelling to Cork as a medical examiner". Sir Ian also reflects on retirement hobbies of some of his colleagues, and we all await with interest what he will do when he retires. Sir Ian Fraser is the only Ulster Medical knight, and a knight in shining armour he has been, on behalf of Ulster medicine. Reading this book will give much pleasure to many. Quite rightly (and this is not an ambiguous statement), the book is dedicated to Eleanor and his children. JA WEAVER