Burr holes,bone flaps,and goose quills: Dr Frank Turnbull,Vancouver’s first neurosurgeon

Abstract

Dr Frank Turnbull was a pioneer neurosurgeon – the first neurosurgeon in Vancouver, Canada. He started his practice in 1933 after spending time during a neurosurgical ‘residency’ with Dr Kenneth Mackenzie, Canada’s first neurosurgeon. Dr Turnbull practiced at a time when the perception of his speciality was dim, and the resources available to him were limited. However, Dr Turnbull overcame these obstacles, and two World Wars to help change the landscape of neurosurgery in the northwest Canada, and his career achievements also extend into medical politics and medical education. This paper documents the life and adventures of Dr Frank Turnbull, pioneer neurosurgeon.

Keywords

Brain tumour neurosurgery pioneer surgery

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Weir

BKA

. A history of neurosurgery in Canada. Can J Neurol Sci 2011; 38: 203–229.

Turnbull

. Operating on the frontier: memoirs of a pioneer Canadian neurosurgeon, Madeira Park, BC: Capilano Publication, 1995.

Turnbull

. Goose quills and burr holes. Can J Neurol Sci 1978; 5: 363–367.

Eccles

Feindel

. Wilder Graves Penfield. 26 January 1891-5 April 1976. Biogr Mem Fellows R Soc 1978; 24: 473–513.

Obituaries. Can Med Assoc J 1959; 81: 766–772.

Rutka JT. A brief history of the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, http://surgery.utoronto.ca/about/history.htm (2014, accessed 9 March 2017).

Peerless

. Frank Turnbull, M.D. Surg Neurol 1990; 34: 1–2.

Powell

Kitchen

. The development of neurosurgery at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, England. Neurosurgery 2007; 61: 1077–1090.

Powell

. The history of neurosurgery at the National Hospital, Queen Square, London, with some personal recollections from 1948 onwards: the early years. World Neurosurg 2017; 103: 634–646.

10.

Lyons

. The citizen surgeon. A life of Sir Victor Horsley, London: Downey, 1966.

11.

Bliss

. Harvey Cushing: a life in surgery, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

12.

Alexander

Jr . Kenneth George McKenzie, Canada's first neurosurgeon. J Neurosurg 1974; 41: 1–9.

13.

Findlay

. Neurosurgery at the Toronto General Hospital, 1924–1990: part 1. Can J Neurol Sci 1994; 21: 146–158.

14.

Findlay

. Neurosurgery at the Toronto General Hospital, 1924–1990: part 2. Can J Neurol Sci 1994; 21: 278–284.

15.

Weir

BKA

. Development of neurosurgery in Canada. ANZ J Surg 1988; 58: 929–936.

16.

Turnbull

. Historical vignette. As it was at the beginning. An essay to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Society of Neurological Surgeons. Surg Neurol 1990; 34: 59–62.

17.

Deaths. Can Med Assoc J 2000; 163: 683.

18.

Royal Commission on Health Services. Royal Commission on Health Servies: 1964 (Vol. I). Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, 1964.

19.

Brown

. The Harvey Cushing Society past, present and future. J Neurosurg 1958; 15: 587–601.

20.

Turnbull

. Neurosurgery is what you make it. J Neurosurg 1950; 7: 289–293.