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EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
EDWIN B E N N E T T A S T W O O D When death comes to a man with the brihiance of mind, eminence in medicine, and achievements in science of Dr. Edwin B. Astwood, the loss to ah mankind is incalculable. To family, friends, and admirers the death of a man with the personal charm and endearing human qualities of Dr. Astwood tears at the heart strings and leaves a wound that does not easily heal. As one of his close friends wrote: "It may sound maudlin, but when Ted died a part of me went with him." Many wih share those sentiments. Ted Astwood was that kind of person. The admiration, love, and respect accorded him was indeed out of the ordinary. In the hearts and minds of ah who knew him personally, he stood alone as someone special. Edwin B. Astwood, known to many as Ted, and to his family and intimate friends as Teddy, was born in Hamilton, Bermuda. There he spent a normal, happy youth excelling in school and athletics, roaming the byways and beaches of that fair isle, and exploring the wonders of nature. The ingeniousness and the ever reaching out into the unknown that were to mark his entire professional career came to bloom early in hfe. As a boy, he built his own telescope and came to know the stars and their movement; studying the fathomless universe filled him with wonder and ponderment. This intense and insatiable curiosity, this yearning to know and determination to understand never faltered. He was one of those rare individuals whose knowledge was simply encyclopedic. The range and accuracy of his factual information concerning the natural world, science, medicine, mechanics, and electronics seemed almost uncannily limitless. No matter what the problem or the question, the response was always, "Ask Ted." Ted's contributions to basic and clinical endocrinology, cited below, were monumental, and it is for this reason alone that he must be numbered among the great men of his era. Despite the fame and kudos that came to him, he remained—to his enduring credit—an unassuming and kindly gentleman. He was always generous in his praise and admiration of the talents and accom plishments of others. Bemg an ardent advocate of scientific truths and an ex ceptionally able experimentalist, he was quick to detect any flaw in his own evidence or that of others. Though intolerant of slipshod work and ill-founded claims, his criticisms were always constructive. Many will recall that m open scientific meetings, as at the Laurentian Hormone Conferences, his probings were delivered in such a deceptively kindly tone of voice, and with such com plete detachment, that the victim might not immediately detect the turn of the knife. In deference to the deep religious convictions of his mother, Ted attended Washington Missionary College and entered the Cohege of Medical Evangelists at Loma Linda. Midway through medical school, Ted could not face the folly and fut٧ity of fohowing a course that he could no longer adhere to in good con-
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EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
science. The need for Hberty of mind, and the free spirit that was his by nature, led him to take his future into his own hands. To make the break clean Ted transferred to McGill University's Faculty of Medicine and received the M.D. degree in 1934. In the following year, as a medical house officer at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, he came under the guidance of J.S.L. Browne, cementing a lifelong friendship. The succeeding two years were spent as a Fellow in the Surgical-Pathology Laboratory at Johns Hopkins Hospital. There he met and married Sarah Ruth Merritt, a nurse. Still thirsting for experience in basic research, and with the aid of a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, Ted spent the next three years as a graduate student working in the laboratory of Pro fessor Frederick L. Hisaw at Harvard University. These were fruitful years that earned him a Ph.D. degree and launched him into a distinguished research career in biology and medicine. Parenthetically, it was there that our paths met and joined with the formation of an interacting closeness in all things that only death did part. Armed with degrees in medicine and in science, and with a substantial record of success in research, Ted returned to Hopkins as Associate in Obstetrics and worked in collaboration with Drs. Georgeanna Jones, Eleanor Delfs, and Charles G. Geschickter. In 1941, Soma Weiss enticed him back to Boston with a joint appointment as Associate in Medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pharmacotherapy in Otto Krayer's Department of Pharma cology, Harvard Medical School. Four years later, and ready for a show of his own, Ted accepted a position as Research Professor of Medicine at Tufts Univer sity School of Medicine and Physician and Endocrinologist to the New England Center Hospital and the Boston Dispensary. The hospital provided him with a generous allocation of research faciHties immediately adjacent and open to the clinic. This environment was to serve his needs in a highly rewarding manner over the next 27 years. Promotions came in rapid succession, boosting Ted to Senior Physician at the hospital and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University where he held one of the much-coveted Research Career Awards of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Astwood got his first taste of research working as a student helper in J. B. Collip's laboratory at Montreal. In his early days at Hopkins he made noteworthy observations on pigment changes in amphibia and on endocrine factors influencing mammary growth and tumor formation in rats. The observa tions that were to mark him as a man of destiny were made as a graduate stu dent at Harvard. Having noted the rapid action of estrogen on uterine imbibition of water, he quickly developed a six-hour quantitative bioassy for estrogenic substances that served to speed research in an area of rampant clinical concern, ovarian estrogen output. Next came the disclosure of a hitherto unrecognized luteal sustaining principle in extracts of rat placenta and a similarly acting hypo physial gonadotropin, distinct from FSH or LH, that prove to be identical with
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
XV
the lactogenic hormone, prolactin. For this he coined the term luteotrophin. These were seminal observations that have long continued to stimulate research. Ted's expertise in the realms of physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and medicine enabled him to work effectively in diverse areas of endocrinology. His research greatly enriched our understanding of the secretions and regulatory mechanisms of the ovary, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, and parathyroid glands. Mention can be made here of only a few of his further major contributions. Working with the group at Hopkins, he succeeded in developing a simple and rapid chemical procedure for the measurement of pregnanediol in human urine that remains a standard technique. The work that was to bring him international recognition and many distinguished honors and awards was the beautiful series of studies on the chemical manipulation of thyroid function by antithyroid drugs. This work was initiated in 1942 as the result of interest aroused by earlier observations that goiter could be induced in experimental animals by sulfaguanidine and phenylthiourea. He recognized the potential of this model for the study of mechanisms involved in the regulation of thyroid function and as an approach to the treatment of thyroid diseases that were persistently confronting him in medical practice. What Astwood did was to demonstrate in rats that antithyroid drugs interfered with the synthesis of thyroid hormones and that the resulting enlargement of the thyroid gland was due to compensatory hypersecretion of TSH. This being so he reasoned that if patients with hyperthyroidism were treated with thiourea, thereby blocking the action of TSH, they might be benefited. They were, but some toxic side effects appeared and the search was on for less toxic antithyroid compounds. Propylthiourea proved much less toxic and suitable for long-term therapy, but the search continued. Since plants of the genus Brassica were be lieved to be goitrogenic, cabbages and turnips loomed as a likely source of anti thyroid agents. Indeed Ted and associates proceeded to isolate from the yehow turnip (rutabaga), a progoitrin, L-5-vinyl-2-thiooxazohdone that proved to be highly effective and safe. Since the goitrogenic action of ah these antithyroid agents could be neutralized or reversed by giving thyroid hormone, Ted deduced that patients with simple or nodular goiter might benefit from the administra tion of thyroid hormone in the form of thyroid powder and again his hunch was verified. Some patients with hyperthyroidism did not respond to antithyroid drugs, but he found that they could be treated successfuhy with radioactive iodine. Thus some form of chemical therapy was made avahable for the manage ment of the entire spectrum of thyroid dyscrasias. As is weh known, Astwood's work on the use of antithyroid drugs was to re volutionize our understanding of the biochemistry of the thyroid gland and the therapeutic management of goiter and hyperthyroidism, commonest of all endo crine diseases. This new evidence ran counter to the established surgical approach to treatment of thyroid disorders. Ted was soon to contend with an entrenched
XVi
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
interest that did not welcome this introduction of chemical therapy by some upstart from Boston. The opposition was doomed from the beginning, however, as Ted's evidence of successful treatment was overwhelming and bound to pre vail, as it did on a worldwide scale. As understanding of thyroid mechanisms mounted from his laboratory studies, further triumphs in therapy were forth coming such as the paradoxical use of thyroid hormone in the treatment of simple and nodular goiter and the use of radioactive iodine in the treatment of certain forms of purported carcinomas of the thyroid. Some of his famous dictums relative to these matters are worth repeating. Once when asked for his views on the role of surgery in the treatment of thyroid disease, his cryptic retort was, "Historical." There is also Ted's challenging comment that ''an encounter between a physician and a thyroid nodule is not cause for panic." The indelible stamp of Astwood's ingenuity is also to be found in improved methods for the extraction and purification of pituitary hormones. In the heyday of research on the pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), sparked by the 1949 bombshell suggesting that this might have a role in the treatment of arthritis, Ted and Maurice Raben, an able associate and mainstay, jumped into the fray and soon came up with a radically new and simplified method of extracting ACTH in greatly improved yield and purity. This soon became the standard procedure used in the commercial preparation of ACTH for clinical use and for later isolafion studies. A few years later, research on pituitary growth hormone was given a shot in the arm through the finding that primates respond only to growth hormone prepared from primate pituitary glands. Again Raben and Astwood came through with a simplified extraction procedure that yielded growth hormone from human pituitaries in suitable purity and potency for the successful treatment of hypopituitary dwarfism. The growth hormone that yielded the first positive response in a dwarfed child was prepared in Astwood's laboratory. Likewise, the isolation of parathyroid hormone was achieved there as was the development of a standard method for the assay of LATS, and a method for the extraction and purification of placental lactogen. In the final years of his experimental work, Dr. Astwood engaged the major challenge of obesity. He felt quite certain that pituitary hormones were involved in Hpid metabohsm and indeed he proceeded to isolate two lipolyfic pepfides from porcine and human pituitary glands. Designated as peptides I and II they had the abihty not only to promptly mobilize free fatty acids in experimental animals, but to also produce in turn gross lipemia. The problems in this area were not resolved but Ted did lead the way in opening the field to exploratory study. Much as he had hoped to find something that would "burn up fat" that was not to be. As Carl Cassidy, one of Ted's long-time associates remarked in a commemorative tribute "He'd done enough." Although the Astwood laboratory was equipped with highly sophis٧cated in struments, his relationship to them was as master, not slave. Except for his
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
XV٢
fascination with their operating principles and electronic gadgetry, he had rather a disdain for fancy technology when some homemade substitute would do the job as weh. The same conservative attitude pervaded his relationship with patients. Having a knowledgeable respect for nature's defense mechanisms and holding that most patient complaints had no organic basis, he would as often let aspirin, bedrest, and some reassuring words work their magic; but he was also quick to utilize any of today's specific remedies when the need was evident. Once when called to examine a spreading rash on the abdomen of one of my young daughters, he told her that if she would stop scratching it the rash would go away. She did and the next morning it was gone. Honors and awards were showered upon Dr. Astwood. First came the Ciba Award in 1944 from the Association for the Study of Internal Secretions (U.S. Endocrine Society); then in 1948 the Cameron Prize from the University of Edinburgh; fohowed a year later by the John Phihips Memorial Award from the American Cohege of Physicians, thence the Borden Award in 1952 from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Claude Bernard Medal from the University of Montreal in 1953, and the Lasker Award in 1954 from the Ameri can Public Health Association. After a brief letup, the shower resumed with the award of the Gordon Wilson Medal in 1966 from the American Clinical and Chmatological Association and a year later came both the Koch Award from the Endocrine Society and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Univer sity of Chicago. In the final year of his life. Dr. Astwood was named Distinguished Thyroid Scientist by the VII International Thyroid Conference and given the Distinguished Leadership Award by the Endocrine Society. Obviously, any man of such distinction could have develoted most of his time and effort to activities outside his office and laboratory, but not Ted. The demand was there but he seldom yielded. He did serve as President of The Endo crine Society and was editor of its journal. Endocrinology, for a brief period. His service otherwise included goodly stints as a member of the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabohc Disease and as Chairman of the Committee on Arrangements of the Laurentian Hormone Conference. Dr. Astwood was happier working in his own private laboratory than in fohowing the lecture circuit, but again the demand was overwhelmmg. The worids of science and medicine wanted very much to hear him. Over the years, he de livered many named lectures and made distinguished appearances in many parts of the world. Fame has its price. Writing was different; it could be done at home in the early morning hours, it was more creative and Ted did willingly devote a large amount of time and effort to this demanding pursuit. His protestations that writing did not come easily is hardly in keeping with the elegant style of his pubhshed works. He was ever an advocate of brevity, but not at the expense of thoroughness. A few of his major contributions to the scientific literature, in addition to articles on
xviii
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
original research, include the section on endocrines in Goodman and Gilman's Textbook of Pharmacology; a comprehensive review on Growth Hormone and Corticotrophin in Volume III of The Hormones; A paper on Chemistry of Corticotrophins in Recent Progress in Hormone Research, Volume 7; and a chapter on Clinical Use of Antithyroid Drugs in Soskin's Progress in Clinical Endocrinology. Ted also served as editor or coeditor for two multiauthored volumes. Clinical Endocrinology, I and II, and Volumes IV and V of The Hor mones, and lastly the multivolume Section on Endocrinology of the Handbook of Physiology. One of the great legacies of the Astwood laboratory is the large number of distinguished endocrinologists who took their postdoctoral training with him. His laboratory was considered a mecca of opportunity. The master was available for counsel and encouragement but not for advice on what to do. He also re frained from utilizing their talents to his own ends and did not as a poHcy lend his name to joint authorship of a paper unless he had made a substantial contri bution to the work with his own hands. Training came by experience and helping one another. These young aspirants had but one goal in mind and that was to measure up in a setting where the standards were high. It was a sink or swim proposition, and swim they did. At last count, this group of 86 former followers included 33 full professors, of whom 8 were also departmental chair men and 23 were Chiefs of Services or Chiefs of Medicine. Ted's modesty did not permit him to acknowledge the remarkable success of his training program, but none could doubt that the results were both pleasing and a matter of pride. Ted's home life and advocational activities brought much enjoyment as did his children Philip Merritt and Nancy Bennett. He looked after their budding interests and entertainment needs and enlarged upon their educational experience at every step of the way. No task about the house or garden was too menial or laborious for him to undertake. He had boundless energy and always had a project going, whether it be uprooting trees, rewiring the house, painting, plumbing, woodworking or building hi-fi sets of superb quality in his basement workshop. Ted had a keen wit and a lively sense of humor. He loved to entertain at home and was a most hospitable host. The Astwood home was a gathering place for distinguished visitors from far and near. Somehow it was all taken in stride. The pillar of the home was not Ted but his gracious and charming wife, Sally, to whom he was devoted and on whom he was heavily dependent. It was Sally's calm judgment, her wise management of the affairs of a home and family, her understanding of Ted's needs and her steadying influence that enabled him to accomphsh so much despite some frustrations along the way. In 1971, Ted and Sally raised anchor and moved back to Ted's homeland, Bermuda, where he engaged in the practice of internal medicine until the day of his death from cancer on February 17, 1976. The courage and fortitude with
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
xix
which he faced these final months of ihness cannot be overstated. He ignored the discomfort, carried on with what strength he could muster and never uttered a hint of concern as to his fate. Again, he was just that kind of man. The likes of Ted Astwood pass this way with a rarity that is matched only by the preciousness of their being. ROY 0 . CREEP
Xiv
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
science. The need for Hberty of mind, and the free spirit that was his by nature, led him to take his future into his own hands. To make the break clean Ted transferred to McGill University's Faculty of Medicine and received the M.D. degree in 1934. In the following year, as a medical house officer at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, he came under the guidance of J.S.L. Browne, cementing a lifelong friendship. The succeeding two years were spent as a Fellow in the Surgical-Pathology Laboratory at Johns Hopkins Hospital. There he met and married Sarah Ruth Merritt, a nurse. Still thirsting for experience in basic research, and with the aid of a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, Ted spent the next three years as a graduate student working in the laboratory of Pro fessor Frederick L. Hisaw at Harvard University. These were fruitful years that earned him a Ph.D. degree and launched him into a distinguished research career in biology and medicine. Parenthetically, it was there that our paths met and joined with the formation of an interacting closeness in all things that only death did part. Armed with degrees in medicine and in science, and with a substantial record of success in research, Ted returned to Hopkins as Associate in Obstetrics and worked in collaboration with Drs. Georgeanna Jones, Eleanor Delfs, and Charles G. Geschickter. In 1941, Soma Weiss enticed him back to Boston with a joint appointment as Associate in Medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pharmacotherapy in Otto Krayer's Department of Pharma cology, Harvard Medical School. Four years later, and ready for a show of his own, Ted accepted a position as Research Professor of Medicine at Tufts Univer sity School of Medicine and Physician and Endocrinologist to the New England Center Hospital and the Boston Dispensary. The hospital provided him with a generous allocation of research faciHties immediately adjacent and open to the clinic. This environment was to serve his needs in a highly rewarding manner over the next 27 years. Promotions came in rapid succession, boosting Ted to Senior Physician at the hospital and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University where he held one of the much-coveted Research Career Awards of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Astwood got his first taste of research working as a student helper in J. B. Collip's laboratory at Montreal. In his early days at Hopkins he made noteworthy observations on pigment changes in amphibia and on endocrine factors influencing mammary growth and tumor formation in rats. The observa tions that were to mark him as a man of destiny were made as a graduate stu dent at Harvard. Having noted the rapid action of estrogen on uterine imbibition of water, he quickly developed a six-hour quantitative bioassy for estrogenic substances that served to speed research in an area of rampant clinical concern, ovarian estrogen output. Next came the disclosure of a hitherto unrecognized luteal sustaining principle in extracts of rat placenta and a similarly acting hypo physial gonadotropin, distinct from FSH or LH, that prove to be identical with
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
XV
the lactogenic hormone, prolactin. For this he coined the term luteotrophin. These were seminal observations that have long continued to stimulate research. Ted's expertise in the realms of physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and medicine enabled him to work effectively in diverse areas of endocrinology. His research greatly enriched our understanding of the secretions and regulatory mechanisms of the ovary, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, and parathyroid glands. Mention can be made here of only a few of his further major contributions. Working with the group at Hopkins, he succeeded in developing a simple and rapid chemical procedure for the measurement of pregnanediol in human urine that remains a standard technique. The work that was to bring him international recognition and many distinguished honors and awards was the beautiful series of studies on the chemical manipulation of thyroid function by antithyroid drugs. This work was initiated in 1942 as the result of interest aroused by earlier observations that goiter could be induced in experimental animals by sulfaguanidine and phenylthiourea. He recognized the potential of this model for the study of mechanisms involved in the regulation of thyroid function and as an approach to the treatment of thyroid diseases that were persistently confronting him in medical practice. What Astwood did was to demonstrate in rats that antithyroid drugs interfered with the synthesis of thyroid hormones and that the resulting enlargement of the thyroid gland was due to compensatory hypersecretion of TSH. This being so he reasoned that if patients with hyperthyroidism were treated with thiourea, thereby blocking the action of TSH, they might be benefited. They were, but some toxic side effects appeared and the search was on for less toxic antithyroid compounds. Propylthiourea proved much less toxic and suitable for long-term therapy, but the search continued. Since plants of the genus Brassica were be lieved to be goitrogenic, cabbages and turnips loomed as a likely source of anti thyroid agents. Indeed Ted and associates proceeded to isolate from the yehow turnip (rutabaga), a progoitrin, L-5-vinyl-2-thiooxazohdone that proved to be highly effective and safe. Since the goitrogenic action of ah these antithyroid agents could be neutralized or reversed by giving thyroid hormone, Ted deduced that patients with simple or nodular goiter might benefit from the administra tion of thyroid hormone in the form of thyroid powder and again his hunch was verified. Some patients with hyperthyroidism did not respond to antithyroid drugs, but he found that they could be treated successfuhy with radioactive iodine. Thus some form of chemical therapy was made avahable for the manage ment of the entire spectrum of thyroid dyscrasias. As is weh known, Astwood's work on the use of antithyroid drugs was to re volutionize our understanding of the biochemistry of the thyroid gland and the therapeutic management of goiter and hyperthyroidism, commonest of all endo crine diseases. This new evidence ran counter to the established surgical approach to treatment of thyroid disorders. Ted was soon to contend with an entrenched
XVi
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
interest that did not welcome this introduction of chemical therapy by some upstart from Boston. The opposition was doomed from the beginning, however, as Ted's evidence of successful treatment was overwhelming and bound to pre vail, as it did on a worldwide scale. As understanding of thyroid mechanisms mounted from his laboratory studies, further triumphs in therapy were forth coming such as the paradoxical use of thyroid hormone in the treatment of simple and nodular goiter and the use of radioactive iodine in the treatment of certain forms of purported carcinomas of the thyroid. Some of his famous dictums relative to these matters are worth repeating. Once when asked for his views on the role of surgery in the treatment of thyroid disease, his cryptic retort was, "Historical." There is also Ted's challenging comment that ''an encounter between a physician and a thyroid nodule is not cause for panic." The indelible stamp of Astwood's ingenuity is also to be found in improved methods for the extraction and purification of pituitary hormones. In the heyday of research on the pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), sparked by the 1949 bombshell suggesting that this might have a role in the treatment of arthritis, Ted and Maurice Raben, an able associate and mainstay, jumped into the fray and soon came up with a radically new and simplified method of extracting ACTH in greatly improved yield and purity. This soon became the standard procedure used in the commercial preparation of ACTH for clinical use and for later isolafion studies. A few years later, research on pituitary growth hormone was given a shot in the arm through the finding that primates respond only to growth hormone prepared from primate pituitary glands. Again Raben and Astwood came through with a simplified extraction procedure that yielded growth hormone from human pituitaries in suitable purity and potency for the successful treatment of hypopituitary dwarfism. The growth hormone that yielded the first positive response in a dwarfed child was prepared in Astwood's laboratory. Likewise, the isolation of parathyroid hormone was achieved there as was the development of a standard method for the assay of LATS, and a method for the extraction and purification of placental lactogen. In the final years of his experimental work, Dr. Astwood engaged the major challenge of obesity. He felt quite certain that pituitary hormones were involved in Hpid metabohsm and indeed he proceeded to isolate two lipolyfic pepfides from porcine and human pituitary glands. Designated as peptides I and II they had the abihty not only to promptly mobilize free fatty acids in experimental animals, but to also produce in turn gross lipemia. The problems in this area were not resolved but Ted did lead the way in opening the field to exploratory study. Much as he had hoped to find something that would "burn up fat" that was not to be. As Carl Cassidy, one of Ted's long-time associates remarked in a commemorative tribute "He'd done enough." Although the Astwood laboratory was equipped with highly sophis٧cated in struments, his relationship to them was as master, not slave. Except for his
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
XV٢
fascination with their operating principles and electronic gadgetry, he had rather a disdain for fancy technology when some homemade substitute would do the job as weh. The same conservative attitude pervaded his relationship with patients. Having a knowledgeable respect for nature's defense mechanisms and holding that most patient complaints had no organic basis, he would as often let aspirin, bedrest, and some reassuring words work their magic; but he was also quick to utilize any of today's specific remedies when the need was evident. Once when called to examine a spreading rash on the abdomen of one of my young daughters, he told her that if she would stop scratching it the rash would go away. She did and the next morning it was gone. Honors and awards were showered upon Dr. Astwood. First came the Ciba Award in 1944 from the Association for the Study of Internal Secretions (U.S. Endocrine Society); then in 1948 the Cameron Prize from the University of Edinburgh; fohowed a year later by the John Phihips Memorial Award from the American Cohege of Physicians, thence the Borden Award in 1952 from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Claude Bernard Medal from the University of Montreal in 1953, and the Lasker Award in 1954 from the Ameri can Public Health Association. After a brief letup, the shower resumed with the award of the Gordon Wilson Medal in 1966 from the American Clinical and Chmatological Association and a year later came both the Koch Award from the Endocrine Society and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Univer sity of Chicago. In the final year of his life. Dr. Astwood was named Distinguished Thyroid Scientist by the VII International Thyroid Conference and given the Distinguished Leadership Award by the Endocrine Society. Obviously, any man of such distinction could have develoted most of his time and effort to activities outside his office and laboratory, but not Ted. The demand was there but he seldom yielded. He did serve as President of The Endo crine Society and was editor of its journal. Endocrinology, for a brief period. His service otherwise included goodly stints as a member of the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabohc Disease and as Chairman of the Committee on Arrangements of the Laurentian Hormone Conference. Dr. Astwood was happier working in his own private laboratory than in fohowing the lecture circuit, but again the demand was overwhelmmg. The worids of science and medicine wanted very much to hear him. Over the years, he de livered many named lectures and made distinguished appearances in many parts of the world. Fame has its price. Writing was different; it could be done at home in the early morning hours, it was more creative and Ted did willingly devote a large amount of time and effort to this demanding pursuit. His protestations that writing did not come easily is hardly in keeping with the elegant style of his pubhshed works. He was ever an advocate of brevity, but not at the expense of thoroughness. A few of his major contributions to the scientific literature, in addition to articles on
xviii
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
original research, include the section on endocrines in Goodman and Gilman's Textbook of Pharmacology; a comprehensive review on Growth Hormone and Corticotrophin in Volume III of The Hormones; A paper on Chemistry of Corticotrophins in Recent Progress in Hormone Research, Volume 7; and a chapter on Clinical Use of Antithyroid Drugs in Soskin's Progress in Clinical Endocrinology. Ted also served as editor or coeditor for two multiauthored volumes. Clinical Endocrinology, I and II, and Volumes IV and V of The Hor mones, and lastly the multivolume Section on Endocrinology of the Handbook of Physiology. One of the great legacies of the Astwood laboratory is the large number of distinguished endocrinologists who took their postdoctoral training with him. His laboratory was considered a mecca of opportunity. The master was available for counsel and encouragement but not for advice on what to do. He also re frained from utilizing their talents to his own ends and did not as a poHcy lend his name to joint authorship of a paper unless he had made a substantial contri bution to the work with his own hands. Training came by experience and helping one another. These young aspirants had but one goal in mind and that was to measure up in a setting where the standards were high. It was a sink or swim proposition, and swim they did. At last count, this group of 86 former followers included 33 full professors, of whom 8 were also departmental chair men and 23 were Chiefs of Services or Chiefs of Medicine. Ted's modesty did not permit him to acknowledge the remarkable success of his training program, but none could doubt that the results were both pleasing and a matter of pride. Ted's home life and advocational activities brought much enjoyment as did his children Philip Merritt and Nancy Bennett. He looked after their budding interests and entertainment needs and enlarged upon their educational experience at every step of the way. No task about the house or garden was too menial or laborious for him to undertake. He had boundless energy and always had a project going, whether it be uprooting trees, rewiring the house, painting, plumbing, woodworking or building hi-fi sets of superb quality in his basement workshop. Ted had a keen wit and a lively sense of humor. He loved to entertain at home and was a most hospitable host. The Astwood home was a gathering place for distinguished visitors from far and near. Somehow it was all taken in stride. The pillar of the home was not Ted but his gracious and charming wife, Sally, to whom he was devoted and on whom he was heavily dependent. It was Sally's calm judgment, her wise management of the affairs of a home and family, her understanding of Ted's needs and her steadying influence that enabled him to accomphsh so much despite some frustrations along the way. In 1971, Ted and Sally raised anchor and moved back to Ted's homeland, Bermuda, where he engaged in the practice of internal medicine until the day of his death from cancer on February 17, 1976. The courage and fortitude with
EDWIN BENNETT ASTWOOD
xix
which he faced these final months of ihness cannot be overstated. He ignored the discomfort, carried on with what strength he could muster and never uttered a hint of concern as to his fate. Again, he was just that kind of man. The likes of Ted Astwood pass this way with a rarity that is matched only by the preciousness of their being. ROY 0 . CREEP