2025年 · 第40卷第01期

Mr. Qiu Fazu is a famous medical scientist, educator and social activist in China, a senior academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a pioneer of modern surgery in China, and an important founder of surgical organ transplantation in China (Figure 1).

Physicians and teachers are the most respected professions in the world. Doctors who save lives and treat diseases and lives are called "the patron saint of human health"; Teachers who teach and teach people are called "engineers of the human soul". Therefore, doctors who undertake busy clinical medical treatment and heavy clinical teaching in teaching hospitals become the most beloved people. Just as the patient will always remember the doctor who forgot to eat and sleep for him and relieve their pain, the student will never forget the initial teacher who worked hard to lead him on the road of life. The selfless dedication of doctors and the touching red candle spirit of teachers have become the most praiseworthy great feelings of mankind. Today, when I look back on my career, I will never forget the teacher who trained me to become a surgeon, Professor Huang Cuiting (Figure 1).

In the blink of an eye, Professor Zhu Yu has left us for 11 years. As an outstanding surgeon, medical scientist, educator and hospital management expert in China, Professor Zhu Yu has made great contributions to China's surgical cause, and his spirit of pursuing excellence is still circulating endlessly, guiding generations of surgical juniors to make continuous progress (Figure 1).

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of Chinese Journal of General Surgery, we deeply remember a large number of senior teachers, such as Professor Zeng Xianjiu, Professor Huang Cuiting, Professor Wu Weiran, Professor Zhu Yu, Professor Huang Ting, Professor Du Ruyu and Professor Gong Jiazhen, who have made outstanding contributions to the founding and subsequent development of the journal. Although they have left us forever and drifted away, their voices and smiles as doctors, teachers and scholars are still vivid in our minds. Moreover, with the passage of time, their earnest teachings in those days have become clearer and more intimate, and their backs have become taller and taller with the passage of time, continuing to lead us to move forward.

Having little ambition was probably the cornerstone of Dean Du Ruyu's career. Perhaps influenced by his family, he chose to pursue the path of medicine, but he was not the kind of scholar people imagined. I see that whether he is in medicine or politics, I'm afraid he is pursuing the creed that "it is better to believe in books than to have no books". Others may laugh at him for wanting to learn from Xiang Yu's "enemy of ten thousand people", but he doesn't care. Unfortunately, in that era, everyone was struggling to make a living. Who still had the heart to care about him? In the face of the People's Hospital being ruined by the frenzy of history, it is dilapidated, and its former glory is no longer present. People who are not appreciated can only sigh at the decline of this "British Empire". Dean Du was different. He had his own ideas and rules. He knew what the problem was and what to do. If there's anything special about him, maybe it's here. The opportunity of history pushed him to the position of dean, and history seemed to "favor" him particularly, giving him a mess. In this hospital, where famous doctors gathered in those days, it was famous. Once, the Prime Minister of Beiyang Government served as the director of the hospital, there were many senior officials, celebrities and even "emperors" among the medical seekers. What's going on now? After the catastrophe of the Cultural Revolution, the number of staff in the whole hospital once dropped sharply to more than 600, with more than 300 beds. This is not enough. The 1976 earthquake caused the hospital structure to suffer "comminuted fractures". In 1982, the fire burned its top floor, and the hospital was closed for a year and a half. Others see it as a mess, but Dean Du sees it as an opportunity. This is not so much foresight as nature, and he is naturally willing to accept challenges (Figure 1).

In the history of Chinese medicine, Academician Wu Mengchao (Figure 1) is known as "the father of hepatobiliary surgery in China" for his outstanding medical achievements and noble medical ethics. He not only created countless firsts in the medical field, but also became the spiritual benchmark of the latecomers in the new era with his spirit of being good at practicing and tackling key problems and willing to learn talents, illuminating the way forward of liver surgery.

In 1990, I was lucky enough to become a student of Academician Li Jieshou. So far, it has been 34 years. It has been more than a year since Academician Li left us, but until today, when I recall his care and love in the process of my growth, it still seems as vivid as yesterday. At the invitation of the editorial department of Chinese Journal of General Surgery to write a memory article, I have a lot of thoughts, but it is still difficult to write. First, many of his students have written many articles about his deeds. On the other hand, every memory is a sad experience. However, in order for more young doctors to gain from Academician Li's great medical spirit, I decided to accept this task and write this article to commemorate it.

Time flies, and it has been eight years since the esteemed Professor Wu Weiran left us, but his personality, knowledge and conduct still influence generations of doctors and medical practitioners. I have the privilege to follow my teacher for more than 20 years. His manner of being a person, doing things and learning has deeply influenced me and even my students.