This issue’s ‘paper of the month’ is a review from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (Kent, UK) which assesses the literature on ‘drop attacks’ seen in Ménière’s disease.Reference Selwyn and Mckay-Davies1 This was described by and linked to the celebrated otologist TumarkinReference Tumarkin2 in 1936: ‘a sudden fall without loss of consciousness, typically associated with Ménière’s disease’ and often referred to as a ‘Tumarkin otolithic crisis’. Alexis Tumarkin (known as ‘Alex’) was born in Liverpool in 1900 and died in 1990. He was the son of an immigrant tailor and went on to lead the ENT department at Liverpool University, one of a long line of eminent otolaryngologists from that city. He will be known to many because of the eponymous ‘Tumarkin speculum’, in daily use in ENT clinics, and had close links with the British Society of Otology, becoming an honorary member. He was an important opinion-former on a wide range of ENT conditions in adults and children, and this review of his drop attacks will be of great interest to many of our readers.
Valedictory note from Edward Fisher
Norris Wolfenden and Morell Mackenzie brought different but complementary skills to their roles as co-editors when The Journal of Laryngology & Otology was founded in 1887, with Morell Mackenzie offering political and social contacts that were vital to the success of the journal. The Journal homepage (jlo.co.uk) has an interesting history section which describes the editorial history of The Journal. Over the subsequent 138 years there has been a total of 20 editors, including the current incumbents. Some have had very long tenures (such as Sir Geoffrey Bateman (1961–78) and Walter Howarth (1929–61)), some very short. I have been privileged to serve The Journal for 15 years since 2010, on the retirement of Guy Kenyon as co-editor and Neil Weir as chairman, initially co-editing with Robin Youngs. We went through a period that has mainly involved the usual duo of co-editors, latterly with Jonathan Fishman, but also a period in which we had three editors (Musheer Hussain joining us for several years). We have been supported by our senior assistant editors (Ann-Louise McDermott and Liam Flood). This follows the pattern in The Journal’s history of periods of a solo, duet, trio and quartets of editors. In July of this year, I retire as chairman and editor after happy years of service with the support of my co-editors, senior editors, managing editors (Rosamund Greensted and Catherine Hyland), the editorial board and our skilled panel of reviewers. The changing of the guard involves my colleague Jonathan Fishman moving into the chair and continuing his role as editor. He is being joined as editor by both Ann-Louise McDermott and Stephen Jones (our current web editor), to make a new trio of editors. Paul Nix will move from assistant editor to senior assistant editor to assist with quality assurance and other projects. This is a formidably talented team from a wide geographical area (London, Birmingham, Dundee and Leeds) with complementary skills, and I wish them well as they navigate the increasingly stormy seas of the media and publishing world.
