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December 14, 2006
Dr Leon Weisberg: 2 September 1941 — 13 December 2006
Doctor Leon Weisberg, neurologist and author of the first book on CT scanning of the human brain, seven other books and over 150 articles, is dead. I interviewed Dr Weisberg in Houston after Katrina. Here is the second interview, the essay that came out of those interviews, and, reprinted here, my note at the end of the essay.
As Allan Cormack was amazed to find no one had solved the CT problem, I was somewhat amazed when I looked for background information on Dr Weisberg and found nothing but his own scientific reports. I strongly encourage future History of Medicine Society writers to consider writing about the great doctors in New Orleans. It is more satisfying, more enjoyable, and more important than synthesizing secondary sources. I have found it immensely satisfying to learn about this man, his career, and his family. The personal interviews were far more interesting than library research, and library research was far more interesting when I knew some of the stories behind the writing. There is so much more to write and there are so many more questions to ask. I restricted myself to a brief overview and only addressed one aspect of Dr Weisberg's work. More importantly though, if we do not take the opportunity to learn about and write about the heroes among us, I am afraid their legacies may get short shrift. Our commercialized pop culture has made every effort to usurp our hero metaphor and tries to convince us heroes are actors who jump out of flaming helicopter props, save storyboard civilizations, and have a ready supply of snarky one-liners. The hero metaphor, however, was surely born in villages, communities of families knit tight to protect each other in an all too dangerous world. Their heroes were good people, people who demanded excellence of themselves, and were thus ready when challenges arose. In the cacophony of pop culture it may be only through our own efforts that we learn about the great doctors we see in the halls.
The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Louisiana Stroke Association or the Louisiana SPCA.
Dr Cusick is collecting rememberences from past students if you would e-mail them to her at cusick*at*tulane*dot*edu.
Posted by Niels Olson at December 14, 2006 9:58 AM
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