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Gastric urease and peptic ulcer disease in Ireland in the 1940s — The Fitzgerald connection

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Conclusion

Ultimately, we now know of course that gastric urease is bacterial in origin, and our raison d’être in the treatment of peptic ulcer is not, as Fitzgerald thought, to enharice urease activity but to completely suppress it. In the 1980s, Oliver Fitzgerald maintained a keen interest in the rapidly evolving H. pylori saga, and his wry sense of déjã vu was obvious in personal contacts and correspondence the authors had with him on the subject. With the benefit of hindsight, cynics might dismiss the work of the Fitzgerald group, but their ideas on peptic ulcer are as relevant today as they were 50 years ago. We are still striving to readjust the ill-adjusted interplay between secretion, neutralisation and mucosal resistance in the dyspeptic patient. The discovery of H. pylori has simply made our task a lot easier.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenteroiogy, AMNCH, Tallaght, and Faculty of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

    H. J. O’Connor, M. J. M. Buckley & C. A. O’Morain

Authors
  1. H. J. O’Connor
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  2. M. J. M. Buckley
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  3. C. A. O’Morain
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Correspondence to H. J. O’Connor.

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O’Connor, H.J., Buckley, M.J.M. & O’Morain, C.A. Gastric urease and peptic ulcer disease in Ireland in the 1940s — The Fitzgerald connection. Ir J Med Sci 171, 231–234 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03170288

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