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o w s s s d l w T a h r K m A month ago, while sitting at my desk, I opened an -mail from Dr. Charles Bryan, a fellow member of the merican Osler Society. Erroneously, I believed that the essage was related to our next annual meeting in Boston, meeting that I always eagerly anticipate. Unfortunately, it as not. The note read, “It is with great regret that I inform ou of the passing of Charles F. Wooley (Figure 1), one of ur past presidents and a very active participant, on Februry 15. He’d gone home after a successful and uneventful ip replacement, and died suddenly— one assumes from pulmonary embolus.” After recovering from my initial olt, I thought, “Medicine and cardiology have lost anther giant,” and my memories of Dr. Wooley and our ssociation resurfaced. Dr. Wooley’s contributions to the field of cardiology ere extensive and are well summarized in The Ohio State niversity’s obituary: “Charles Wooley, M.D., Heart-Care ioneer and professor of Medicine Emeritus, Cardiology, assed away Feb. 15. A faculty member from 1961 until he ssumed emeritus status in 1992, Wooley was instrumental n the founding of teaching labs and libraries at Ohio State. e was a pioneer in the use of sound and ultrasound in iagnosing heart and tissue disease, in the application of adanced diagnostic techniques to heart valve anomalies, and in he identification of unique genetic characteristics and markers elated to specific heart disease. While teaching and mentoring housands of Ohio State medical students and young physiians, Wooley imparted not only medical knowledge, but also keen sense of personal and social responsibility. More reently, he researched and shared historical perspectives rearding the evolution of clinical medicine and its noteworhy practitioners.” I would like to reflect, however, not on r. Wooley the cardiologist but on my memories and recllections of our association. In the early 1990s, my friend and colleague James Young ntroduced me to a society dedicated to the study of the istory of medicine, a subject I have always been very fond f. He said, “Hector, I am a member of the American Osler ociety. The society has an annual meeting that is a wonerful experience with historical presentations and banuets. It is intellectually stimulating. . . . I want you to attend nd see what you think.” I did not hesitate; my answer was resounding “yes.” I attended my first meeting in San rancisco in 1996, where I met Dr. Charles Wooley. My ecollection about that first encounter is as follows. A memer of the society presented a paper on the knowledge and volution of the understanding of blood pressure throughout istory. As the meeting unfolded, the speaker was asked his |