The Turnstone: A Doctor's StoryLiverpool University Press, 2002 - 273 pages In this vivid and compelling memoir, Dr. Geoffrey Dean tells the story of his lifetime of travel, medical practice, and groundbreaking research. Born in Wales in 1918, Dean spent his early years in the north of England. After training to be a doctor in Liverpool, he served during the Second World War as a medical officer in Bomber Command. Following the war, as he recounts here, Dean relocated himself and his family to South Africa, where he established a busy medical practice that he continued for more than twenty years. During this period, he kept at the forefront of medical research, devoting the bulk of his attention to the epidemiology of porphyria, a disease that causes paralysis. All the while, his work kept him traveling, with stops in China, Sweden, Holland, Cyprus, and Spain—including a period as the personal physician to the millionaire governor of the Fiji Islands. Threaded through with surprising adventures and rich anecdotes of the author's travels in the course of his research, The Turnstone is a lively account of the life of a man whose commitment to medicine brought him to the ends of the earth—and kept him there for more than sixty years. |
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acute porphyria Afrikaner aircrew Ampleforth Ariaantje artery asked attended baby Ballyhaunis barium became blood bomb Bomber Britain British Cape Town Catholic cause Chinese Church consultant Cyprus Dean death decided developed died director disease disorder disseminated sclerosis doctors drugs Dublin England Europe farm father flew Friedreich's Ataxia friends gene Geoffrey Gerrit Greek Cypriots Health heart attacks heroin hospital immigrants infection inherited Irish Johannesburg John John Bradshaw knew later Lauries Bay letter lived Liverpool London lung cancer Maria married Medical Journal medical officers medical students medicine Medico-Social Research Board mortality mother multiple sclerosis neurologists Nonie Northern Ireland pain parents patients perhaps physician plane population porphyria porphyria variegata Port Elizabeth prevalence Professor realised replied reported returned risk Rooyen Royal sister South Africa stayed surgeon syndrome thalassaemia told Turkish Cypriots virus Waterbeach weeks women