J. H. Louw Memorial Lecture. Outreach, origins and a hedgehog

Professor J. H. Louw is honoured in this lecture for the major contribution he made to the development of paediatric surgery in South Africa as a specialty in its own right. Although he is perhaps best known internationally for his contribution to our understanding of the aetiology of small-bowel atresias, it may be that his greatest legacy lies in those he taught, many of whom are in the audience. He was a man who demanded the highest standards, both of himself and of his colleagues, and despite many other leadership roles and responsibilities in surgery generally, always considered that his first responsibility was to paediatric surgery. It may be fitting, therefore, that this lecture deals with two aspects that were dear to Professor Louw, namely the provision of specialist care for children with surgical conditions, and recent research into the causes of congenital structural abnormalities.