Mitchiner Memorial Lecture 1979: Men in battle. The factors affecting their lives and well-being.

I am honoured ,to give the Mitchiner Memorial Lecture this year, a year in which the Royal College of Surgeons of Ed i~bllrgh has held its ,anDual meeting with the R oyal A11ll1y Medi",,1 Corps ill MilIbank and Woolwi ch. There are certain men in our profession who ha ve been outstanding not on1y for their scientific a chievements but also for their perso.nality, which has extended their infl uence and their teaching far beyond the range of their own medical schools. Lord Moynihan was one, Gordon T aylo r and John Bruce; a nd certainly Philip Mi.tchiner. When I was a young medical omccr in the London County Counci l Service at SI. Andrew'. Hospital, Bow, I heard considerable talk aboltt a surgeon known as "Mitch", a chief at T homa s's whose sayings and doings were 'Oat only quoted to