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David Henry Goodsall: reassessment of the rule

  • Pioneers in Colon and Rectal Surgery
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Abstract

The life and times of the coloproctologist David Henry Goodsall (1843–1906) is presented outlining his contribution to surgery in general and to the field of colorectal surgery, in particular giving a reassessment of his well-known rule regarding anal fistulae.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the British Library and the Wellcome Institute London for access to original articles by D.H. Goodsall and F. Swinford Edwards and the Royal College of Surgeons England for access to a photograph of D.H. Goodsall.

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Correspondence to A. P. Zbar.

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Zbar, A.P. David Henry Goodsall: reassessment of the rule. Tech Coloproctol 13, 185–188 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10151-009-0511-5

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