Surgical research publication in a selection of research and surgical specialty journals.

Background: A prior study revealed a paucity of surgical research in the 5 top-rated general surgery journals for 1998. The hypothesis of the current study was that a large amount of surgical research was published in other journals.

Methods: In all, 15 research journals and 9 surgery specialty journals were reviewed for basic research, funded clinical studies, randomized clinical trials, and drug trials.

Richard Lower, M.D., physician and surgeon (1631-1691).

Richard Lower (1631-1691) was a follower of William Harvey and conducted extensive studies of the physiology of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. He employed surgery as a key component of his experimental work. He described and employed cardiac massage and maintained arterial oxygenation through positive-pressure respiration.

Exploratory celiotomy in 1474 AD: brief case report.

In 1474 ad a prisoner in Paris underwent an exploratory celiotomy to ascertain the cause of abdominal "colic." The patient recovered.