The Surgeon Author:W. C. Heinz This book, which the publisher has decided to call a novel, was not intended to be a fictional portrayal of a surgeon of our time. Rather, it was to be a factual narrative, but early in the research it became obvious that for this effort to obtain its objectives it would have to go beyond the beginnings and experiences of any one man. What those... more » objectives were I shall leave to the reader, but he should know that the professional characters portrayed are composites, and that only those giants of the past, such as Osler, Billroth, Liston and Evarts Graham are identified by name. Although the surgical cases dealt with are true, the names, occupations, and other identifying characteristics of the patients have been changed to insure privacy.« less