Robert Graves Lecture 1981_Dr. John Randal Hayes

22/05/1981 in Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 6, Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Dr. John Randal Hayes, Department of Medicine, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast BT9 7AB.

Gut Reactions – Control of Antral Hormone Release

Introduction:

ROBERT GRAVES remains one of the outstanding figures of Irish medicine. While best known for his description of the disease which bears his name we owe him a great debt. Graves changed the course of medical education rejecting the then current theoretical and didactic teaching in favour of practical instruction at the bedside. Such was the basis of my own medical education and the survival of this philosophy is in itself a recognition of Graves’ outstanding contribution to medical teaching.

Graves’ knowledge of disease came from what he described as patient and continuous observation of nature. Our capacity to observe nature has increased greatly through technological advance and this complexity means that in addition to the same care and patience advocated by Graves the contemporary observer needs to be aware of the potential pitfalls and problems associated with his method of observation.

Irish J Med Sci December 1981, 150:230

This being the twenty-first Graves Lecture since its beginnings in 1961.