(This is only the introduction part of the paper, please refer to the
American Journal of Medical Genetics 33:522-536 (1989) for the complete
version.)
INTRODUCTION
In the words of Albert Schweitzer, the most precious thing about man, however creative he may be, is man himself. This is a story about a man who has steered us away from views once popular and now largely repudiated. A child suffering from congenital malformations can no longer be dogmatically held as a portent of parental genetic "faults" nor can a fetus be considered immune from environmental assaults. From his earliest contributions to the influential Mitchell-Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, Dr. Warkany foretold the importance of prenatal factors in diseases of children and stated that "eugenic aspect of prenatal life ... the fetus should be assured so far as possible by protection of the expectant mother from adverse environmental influences" (Warkany, 1950). The causes that once fueled political movements for the betterment of races are now dormant, and science has tempered our views (Race Betterment Foundation, 1928). The American Teratology Society, the procedures for the protection of the unborn adopted by governmental agencies, and the recognition by Dr. Warkany's peers of his pioneering role and influence on these societal changes are symbols of his silent triumphs. In his story about his life as a teratologist, Dr. Warkany recognizes the importance of history, serendipity, intuition, and the scientific toil of many. These triumphs have not blunted his realism nor his concerns about the limited capacity of men to learn from past mistakes. Dreamers and good causes are as abundant now as they were before. Vigilance is needed to prevent new departures toward undreamed cost- effective but ill-conceived utopias. The scientific itinerary of Dr. Warkany can be charted from his own biography and his visions of enigmas can be surmised from his etchings (Brent, 1982; Warkany, 1988 a-c). To some, his self-discipline and strong philosophy of life can be intimidating. Thoughtless comments and sentimentality rarely escape his self-control. His indifference to populistic causes and movements is glacial. Inhuman traits some may say, but such a view melts rapidly as one savors his humor, liveliness, and attachments. In a recent letter to a friend he closed with "stay in touch, keep me alive." Had he not chosen medicine, Dr. Warkany would, I am sure, have become a creative artist, most likely a writer, poet, painter, or architect. I doubt he would have considered business, politics, or the law. Even under his medical cloak, Dr. Warkany emerges as a man of letters. A theme he often touches is the necessity to preserve the truth from assault by exploitative speculations. Yet, he also champions human intuition, which he considers the source of freedom and creativity. With concern, he points out that creativity, scientific or artistic, declines without freedom, and he casts doubts about cost accountants and well-intended bureaucracies. He sees the infiltration of politics into science as a portent of impending decay.
Perhaps the story about this man should be written in a detached way, akin to a perception of mountains that reveal their majesty softened by distance and the mists of time. That task I leave to those who have not known Dr. Warkany personally. This story is written by a friend who could not have become an adversary. Perhaps the view is narrow, but it is close to the mountain and I hope I can bring others to discover their own vistas.
What follows is a collage of thoughts, mostly from passages extracted from the voluminous writings and speeches by Dr. Warkany (a complete bibliography can be found in Warkany (1988a), and subsequent contributions are listed in the References) (Dignan and Warkany, 1989; Warkany, 1988a,b, 1989a,b). The quotations cited are signals of cardinal views, samples of linguistic virtuosity, notations of feelings and concerns that are characteristic of this man. Readers can remedy shortcomings by consulting the bibliography. The responsibility for my temerity in undertaking this task I transfer to those that Dr. Warkany lists as "my best friends and younger mentors," Drs. Robert L. Brent, Robert Miller, Kurt Benirschke, Jack Rubinstein, Peter Dignan, Clarke Fraser, Harold Kalter, and many others. They encouraged me to commit to print thoughts which I expressed earlier during a recent tribute to Dr. Warkany.
University of South
Alabama,
Department of Medical Genetics, (http://www.usouthal.edu/genetics/academic.htm)
214 CCCB, Mobile, Al 36688-0002
Last Update 11/5/97