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Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
William Wall: How a decades-old hip replacement turned me into a medical exhibit in Italy
My ancient artificial hip came apart as I was on my way to speak at a secondary school in the city of Genoa. It was, to say the least, painful. It wasn't exactly new. In fact it was 42 years old, well past its sell-by date as defined by the surgeon who gave it to me back in the prehistory of 1982. "It should last 25 years," he said. So much for guarantees! In Italy you can walk in (or hobble) and get an X-ray without a doctor's letter and have it read on the spot and so I did. I got a taxi to the centre. When the radiologist saw it he went pale. "You shouldn't be standing up, let alone walking," he said. "It's OK," I replied, "I have a taxi waiting outside". That did nothing to calm him. "Go to the hospital immediately," he said. I went home and phoned a friend. Maria Rosa was one of the first friends we made in Camogli. Former proprietor of a famous family restaurant where, among other stars, Umberto Eco used to eat, we couldn't have a better or more capable advisor. She took one look at me and called an ambulance. Fifteen minutes later I was on my way to San Martino, one of the biggest hospitals in Europe and a centre of excellence for orthopaedics. Before leaving I had phoned my GP in Ireland for advice. Should I fly home? "No" was his advice. "Stay where you are. They're used to skiing accidents, people falling off scooters, mad cyclists, car accidents. You couldn't be in a better place." He didn't say, perhaps not wishing to scare me, that flying brought the risk of thrombosis if your hip wasn't properly connected to the rest of your body. Writer William Wall. Picture: Larry Cummins When I presented them with the x-ray at A&E, the doctor there was puzzled. She had never seen a hip of that shape before. Did I have the technical details? I didn't, but my son Oisín used to be a curator at the Science Museum in London and they had one there, I could ask him. I texted him and shortly afterwards he replied with the full spec. The doctor burst out laughing. "I've read about this in the history of medicine," she said, "but I never expected to see one in my practice!" From then on I was Exhibit A. As they moved me first to Orthopaedic Emergencies and then to Complex Orthopaedic Injuries I became the centre of attention for every junior doctor and registrar in the place. I had my history taken by, perhaps, ten different people. Since nobody spoke English I developed a detailed Italian vocabulary on orthopaedics and medical procedures. I got to the point where I could recite my story by heart so that when, one evening, I was called upon by a Brazilian surgeon registrar who spoke English fluently, I didn't recognise the fact that he was speaking my language and kept replying to him in Italian until he pointed it out to me. The primario or chief surgeon was a quiet spoken, serious man, a professor of surgery at the university. They had no experience with hips of this type and age, he told me, and they would need to take some time to research it and get the right parts and instruments. He would keep me informed. In the meantime, I was, on no account, to leave my bed, there were huge risks and he couldn't believe I had been walking about on what was left of the hip before presenting at A&E. I joked that they wouldn't be engaged in surgery but in archaeology and that my hip was an historical artefact. Could I have it back? I'd like to have it mounted as a piece of sculpture. Chuckles all round. They'd think about it, but there were protocols to be observed By then I had no pain, my bed was beside a window that looked out on a little copse of pine trees full of colourful parrots, and the patient in the next bed in our two-bed room was a retired teacher who loved to talk about books. I settled in for a long wait, happy to be in good hands. Operation easier than first time round The operation, five days later, was much easier than the first time round. Anaesthetics have developed since 1982, and medicine has learned a lot more about what was once a revolutionary form of surgery. It's not that hip operations are routine, especially not when the object of the surgery belongs in a museum (and I don't mean me), but almost everything is known about them now and the procedure is well understood. Back in 1982 you spent a week in bed after the operation with the leg suspended in a flexible cradle. I don't know why, but at the time I thought of it as waiting for the glue to set. My metaphor, to paraphrase Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest, was drawn from carpentry. And a doctor once said to me that orthopaedic surgery was essentially carpentry with blood. But with the new operation you're on your feet the day after and it is not fun. My previous hip was 42 years old and well past its sell-by date. File picture Possibly the worst part is the irrational fear that the artificial joint of titanium steel might 'break', despite the fact that you know that thousands of patients all over the world are getting awkwardly out of bed and standing on their shiny new steel prosthesis every day. Anyway, I did it and it didn't break. And afterwards there were six weeks of home physiotherapy as part of the process. And none of this cost a cent because I have a tessera sanitaria, a kind of healthcare card. On the other hand, as a citizen of the European Union, I would also have been entitled to free treatment with the standard EHIC. By contrast, I'm told that the replacement of a broken prosthesis would not necessarily be regarded as an emergency in Ireland and the mean waiting time for a hip replacement is around 80 days I won't even mention our peculiar public/private hybrid medical system and the vagaries of health insurance, nor the fact that the six weeks of home visits by a physiotherapist would be outside my wildest dreams in Cork. The healthcare system in Italy is superb even if it is under severe ideological pressure from the Right. Beginning with Silvio Berlusconi, a process of regionalisation has given control to each regional administration and the result is considerable unevenness, especially in the southern regions. Nevertheless, life expectancy in Italy is the fourth highest in the OECD. Do I have complaints? Certainly none about the medical or ancillary staff, nor about the treatment or follow-up care. All were exemplary. My one complaint is that the food was terrible. In a land where food is the constant topic of conversation, where a stranger is likely to ask what you had to eat the day before by way of polite conversation, where to be served a greasy lasagna means pistols at dawn, to say that I survived almost entirely on beef broth and the panini Liz brought me in is surely enough to condemn the entire system! Even at that I lost 3kg in as many weeks. Of course, I couldn't have lost them if I didn't have them to spare, so there is that. Oh, and my other 42-year-old hip is still doing fine, thanks very much. Happy days. Oh, and I never got my old hip back. William Wall's most recent novel is Writers Anonymous (New Island, 2025), a gripping story of a forgotten murder. Set in West Cork it has been described as 'Playful and propulsive, sinister and melancholic' by writer Colin Walsh, and 'insightful and elegiac' by Cillian Murphy. Mick Clifford is away.
AU Financial Review
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AU Financial Review
3 books to get you in the mood for the Oasis tour
The best description of Oasis to be found in the clutch of books arriving to coincide with their reunion tour comes courtesy of a teenage Pete Doherty. Yet to be a rock star himself with The Libertines, Doherty was interviewed as a television vox pop in 1997 on the day that the Manchester band's third album Be Here Now came out. 'I subscribe to the Umberto Eco view,' he said to camera, 'that Noel Gallagher's a poet and Liam's a town crier.' That was not actually Umberto Eco's view. The celebrated Italian writer, who picked Bach's Goldberg Variations No.22 as his favourite track on BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs, kept any thoughts about the Gallagher brothers to himself, so far as I can tell. But the observation itself is spot on.
Times
08-06-2025
- Science
- Times
Librarians breathe easy as tool spots toxic book pigment
In The Name of the Rose, a poisonous book was used to murder several monks in a 14th century abbey. Far-fetched, one might think — but toxic books are a real problem for those handling historic works. Now scientists have devised a tool to identify hazardous books with green bindings which contain arsenic. While exposure is unlikely to lead to horrific deaths with blackened fingers and tongues, as in the novel by Umberto Eco and the film of the same name starring Sean Connery, the toxic pigment can be harmful. Publishers used arsenic to create a vibrant colour known as emerald green. Academics say that the risk to the public is low but frequent handling of the books can lead to health problems, including irritation of the eyes, nose and through — and potentially more serious effects. Libraries and collections around the world have prevented access to parts of their book collections, including the French National Library last year. Many institutions have forbidden access to all suspect green books from their collections as a precaution. Last year Bielefeld University isolated about 60,000 books, with other German universities following suit. The University of St Andrews, which has developed the tool, said that testing had until now been a specialised, costly and time-consuming process, leading institutions to isolate swathes of books. The device, developed in collaboration between the university's libraries and museums and its physics department, can quickly and cheaply detect the presence of toxic pigment in book bindings. It said that this would make it easier to distinguish hazardous books from those which are safe to handle and display. Dr Graham Bruce and Dr Morgan Facchin, from the physics department, developed a portable tool to identify the poisonous books. It shines different colours of light onto the book, and analyses how much is reflected to provide a 'fingerprint' of pigments. Bruce said: 'It is handheld and allows us to screen an individual book for the presence of emerald green pigment in a fraction of a second. It has been exciting to see it being used in libraries and collections across Scotland. Our team has been asked to look at thousands of books, of which over 100 have been identified as containing emerald green pigment.' Historic wallpaper and textiles coloured green may also contain arsenic. Dr Pilar Gil, a heritage scientist who led the research, said the starting point was a device used to detect minerals in rocks and the 'eureka moment' was discovering the unique reflective pattern from emerald green pigment. Dr Jessica Burdge, assistant director of libraries and museums at St Andrews, said: 'This work is a brilliant example of how universities and research can solve real problems. The emerald green detection tool is the result of a collaboration that plays to the strengths of different expertise across the university.' An exhibition, titled Poisonous Books, Dangers from the Past, which explores the project has opened at the Wardlaw Museum in St Andrews. Mark Lorch, professor of public engagement and science communication at the University of Hull, wrote recently: 'During the 19th century, as books began to be mass produced, bookbinders transitioned from using expensive leather covers to more affordable cloth items. To attract readers, these cloth covers were often dyed in bright, eye-catching colours.' Dyes quickly adopted for use in various items, including book covers, clothing, candles and wallpaper had a significant drawback, he said. 'They degraded easily, releasing poisonous and carcinogenic arsenic. The frequent reports of green candles poisoning children at Christmas parties, factory workers tasked with applying paint to ornaments convulsing and vomiting green water and warnings of poisonous ball dresses raised serious concerns.'
Ammon
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Ammon
Hate Crimes in the Digital Age
About a year ago, I wrote an article that posed the question of whether hate crimes were spreading across our digital platforms and turning into a 'social fever.' As with any article, I sent the link to several friends. One of them responded almost immediately: 'Yes, we are suffering from hate crimes on our digital platforms, and we must acknowledge it.' Today, in our digital world, hate crimes have become more widespread and dangerous than ever before, fueled by the growing influence of social media. Racism and incitement to violence are no longer marginal rhetoric confined to closed circles. Instead, they now dominate the public sphere, amplified by the rapid spread of content on platforms like X and Facebook. This phenomenon accurately reflects the warning issued by the Italian philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco, who once said: 'Tools like Twitter and Facebook grant the right to speak to legions of fools—people who used to speak without causing any harm to society and were immediately silenced… But now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner… It is the invasion of fools.' These words shed light on one of the most pressing challenges of the modern age: the ability of anyone—regardless of their awareness or sense of responsibility—to spread hateful and incendiary ideas to the public without any real barriers. Hate speech is no longer just an opinion voiced in private; it has become accessible to everyone, engaging thousands, perhaps even millions, transforming it from an individual viewpoint into a public discourse that can shape entire societies. What is even more alarming is that traditional media used to have some level of filtering and editorial oversight before publishing any public discourse. Today, however, anyone can write a post or a tweet that gets widely shared within minutes, turning into a perceived 'truth' for some—despite being nothing more than malicious falsehoods. Moreover, social media platforms are designed to capture attention through sensationalism, making hate speech and incitement spread faster than moderate or analytical content. Numerous studies indicate that false news and hate speech receive more engagement than balanced content, further amplifying their danger. The algorithms governing these platforms promote content that generates the most interaction, without distinguishing between what is incendiary and what is constructive. As a result, users find themselves surrounded by hate speech without realizing how it shapes their views and beliefs. Recognizing the severity of this phenomenon, many countries have enacted legislation to combat online hate speech. However, the practical enforcement of these laws remains complex, particularly due to challenges in assigning legal responsibility, especially when inciters operate anonymously. Yet, the real solution is not merely strict legal enforcement. On a societal level, digital hate crimes deepen divisions within communities, turning public discourse into a battlefield rather than a means of dialogue and understanding. Repeated exposure to such rhetoric normalizes it, reducing our sensitivity to its dangers and increasing its acceptance. Therefore, the most crucial step is raising public awareness about the risks of hate speech by organizing community discussions and empowering academics, media professionals, and legal experts to actively address this issue. Promoting balanced discourse is essential for building more tolerant and cohesive societies.
The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Don't take the pistachio out of Sicilian pesto
'I saw a recipe recently for 'pistachio pesto' – nobody wants that,' writes Emma Brockes (Everyone has gone nuts for pistachios. But they're just an upmarket green peanut, aren't they?, 26 February). Pistachio pesto is actually a delicious traditional Sicilian recipe. It should be properly made with pistachios from the town of Bronte, which are of the highest quality. The cultivation of pistachios was probably introduced to the area by Arabs in the Middle Ages; locally the pistachio is known as frastuca, a name derived from MussiRome, Italy We in the Green party campaigns committee have taken up Umberto Eco's baton (Letters, 25 February) and produced a set of 'how to spot a fascist' beermats. On the other side are suggestions for what to do about fascism when you spot it. They've proved very popular. Maybe the Guardian could consider beermats in the future, to replace HarrisLondon Tell you what, I'll stop eating kebabs if the government stops building runways (UK urged to act now on net zero – and skip two kebabs' worth of meat a week, 26 February).Nick RogersBaldock, Hertfordshire When did it become appropriate for a visitor to the Oval Office in the White House to keep their hat on, as Elon Musk did? Another example of declining standards?Hugh CraigEdinburgh In the late 70s, one of my history teachers described me as laconic (Letters, 26 February). Being a man of few words, my da had to look it up. Polly LlwyndedwenAberhonddu, Powys 'It is impossible to assess Alison's work as she has not done any.'Ali CrusoeGoudhurst, Kent Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
