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Publications by Frederick Eustace Batten (1865-1918)
Dr Batten was born in Plymouth, the third son of a barrister, and the grandson of a surgeon. He was educated at Westminster School before going to Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital, and was appointed house surgeon there in 1891. He also worked in Berlin. Frederick Batten's enduring fame is associated with The National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, and with Great Ormond Street. At both institutions, he worked for many years, dealing mainly with diseases of the nervous system, and publishing important works on these. In 1913, he was joint editor (with two other Great Ormond Street doctors, Garrod and Thursfield) of the textbook Diseases of Children. He was described in Monk's Rolls as a 'first-rate' children's physician, displaying inventive talent, and his premature death (following an appendectomy), was a great loss to the world of paediatrics.
In 1952 the intensive care unit for patients with acute respiratory paralysis at the National Hospital was named the "Batten Unit" in his honour. He was described as "a brisk, lithe figure with a conspicuous domed head and lively eye, quick, tumbling speech, bubbling humour and an intense interest in current affairs, but first and foremost concerned with the well-being of his patients and the parents, relatives, nurses and doctors who administered to them".
List of references
Note:
(PP refers to Papers Published by Medical & Surgical Staff of the Hospita).
(1) On empyema in childhood. Lancet. 1894; 143 (3692): 1368-1369
(2) The occurrence of rheumatism in children subsequent to an attack of chorea. Lancet. 1898; 152 (3923): 1195-1196
(3) A case of congenital hypertrophy of the pylorus in an infant: recovery, subsequent death from broncho-pneumonia. Lancet. 1899; 154 (3979): 1511-1513
(4) [with Risien, JS and Collier, JS] Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. Brain. 1900; 23 (1): 39-110.
(5) Has acute anterior poliomyelitis been unusually prevalent this summer? Lancet. 1902; 160 (4123): 707
(6) The hatching of chickens from preserved eggs. Lancet. 1903; 162 (4182): 1192
(7) Fish oil and cod liver oil. Lancet. 1904; 163 (4211): 1379-1380
(8) Case of brachial plexus lesion. Brain. 1906; 29 (3): 413
(9) Case of myopathy exhibiting slow relaxation of muscles after muscular action. Brain. 1906; 29 (3): 414
(10) [with Gibb, HP] Two cases of myotania atrophica, showing a peculiar distribution of muscular atrophy. Proc R Soc Med. 1909; (2): 32-33
(11) Migraine. In Hutchison R, Collier HS (Eds.) An Index of Treatment, 4th ed. Bristol: John Wright, 1908, pp.543-545.
(12) Neuralgia. In Hutchison R, Collier HS (Eds.) An Index of Treatment, 4th ed. Bristol: John Wright, 1908, pp.606-608.
(13) Neuritis. In Hutchison R, Collier HS (Eds.) An Index of Treatment, 4th ed. Bristol: John Wright, 1908, pp.620-622.
(14) Palsies, cerebral (of childhood). In Hutchison R, Collier HS (Eds.) An Index of Treatment, 4th ed. Bristol: John Wright, 1908, pp.646-647.
(15) Poliomyelitis, acute anterior. In Hutchison R, Collier HS (Eds.) An Index of Treatment, 4th ed. Bristol: John Wright, 1908, pp.701-702.
(16) Sciatica. In Hutchison R, Collier HS (Eds.) An Index of Treatment, 4th ed. Bristol: John Wright, 1908, pp.772-774.
(17) [with Gibb, HP] Myotonia atrophica. Brain. 1909; 32 (2): 187-205
(18) Acute myelitis and acute poliomyelitis. Lancet. 1910; 176 (4553): 1647-1648
(19) Influenzal meningitis. Lancet. 1910; 175 (4529): 1677-1679
(20) The use of celluloid splints in the treatment of cases of poliomyelitis. Lancet. 1912; 180 (4637): 80-81
(21)*Diseases of muscles. In Garrod AE, Batten F, and Thursfield H (Eds.) Diseases of Children. London: Arnold, 1913, pp.891-912
(22) Organic diseases of the nervous system. In Garrod AE, Batten F, and Thursfield H (Eds.) Diseases of Children. London: Arnold, 1913, pp.740-867
(23) Further note on the use of celluloid splints in the treatment of acute cases of poliomyelitis. Lancet. 1914; 184 (4743): 216-217
(24) Unusual manifestations of poliomyelitis. British Journal of Children's Diseases. 1914; 11 (123): 97-105
(25) Glioma of cerebellum: recovery after simple drainage of cyst. Proc R Soc Med. 1914; 7: 23
(26) Case of toxic polyneuritis due to the virus of poliomyelitis. Proc R Soc Med. 1914; 7: 23-24
(27) Epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis. Lancet. 1915; 185 (4784): 964-967
(28) [and Von Wyss, WH] The atonic form of cerebral diplegia. British Journal of Children's Diseases. 1915; 12 (135): 65-72
(29) Case of the atonic form of cerebral diplegia (Foerster). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 1915; 8: 61-62
(30) Myopathy: simple atrophic type. Proc R Soc Med. 1915; 8: 69
(31) [with Mayou, MS] Family cerebral degeneration with macular changes. Proc R Soc Med. 1915; 8: 70-90
(32) Myopathy ? Juvenile type ? Landouzy-Dejerine type. Proc R Soc Med. 1915; 8: 70-71
(33) [with Von Wyss, WH] Special discussion on the epidemiology of cerebrospinal meningitis. Proc R Soc Med. 1915; 8: 79-80
(34) [with Jukes, MA] Amauorotic family idiocy (Waren Tay-Sachs disease). Proc R Soc Med. 1915; 8: 89
(35) Case of muscular atrophy. Proc R Soc Med. 1916; 9: 62
(36) Case of muscular atrophy. Proc R Soc Med. 1916; 9: 62-63
(37) Paraplegia following cerebrospinal meningitis: laminectomy. Proc R Soc Med. 1916; 9: 63
(38) Case of ataxia in a child. Proc R Soc Med. 1916; 9: 63-64
(39) Two cases of post-central injury of cortex. Proc R Soc Med. 1916; 9: 67-68
(40) Acute poliomyelitis: its nature and treatment. London: John Bale, 1916
(41) Case of pigmented degeneration of the retina, associated with epileptic fits. Proc R Soc Med. 1917; 10: 3-5
(42) Case of myasthenia gravis. Proc R Soc Med. 1917; 10: 48
(43) [and Still, GF] Epidemic stupor in children. Lancet. 1918; 191 (4940): 636-637
(44) [revised by Wyllie, WG] Diseases of muscles. In Thursfield H, Paterson D (Eds.) Diseases of Children, 2nd ed. London: Arnold, 1929, pp.809-826.
(45) [revised by Wyllie, WG] Organic diseases of the nervous system. In Thursfield H, Paterson D (Eds.) Diseases of Children, 2nd ed. London: Arnold, 1929, pp.661-788.
(46) [revised by Wyllie, WG] Diseases of muscles. In Thursfield H, Paterson D (Eds.) Diseases of Children, 3rd ed. London: Arnold, 1934, pp.847-864.
(47) [revised by Wyllie, WG] Diseases of muscles. In Paterson D, Moncrieff, AA (Eds.) Diseases of Children, 4th ed. London: Arnold, 1949, pp.270-289.
