Psychiatric Bulletin (2002) 26: 77. doi: 10.1192/pb.26.2.77
© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Psychiatric Bulletin (2002) 26: 77
© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Leo Max Honigsberger
Former Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
Alexander S. McNeish
There is always a lasting camaraderie among the small group of usually
young clinical investigators who find themselves as pioneers in a new,
clinically relevant discipline. Such was the position of clinical
neurophysiology in the early 1960s when Leo Honigsberger, a trainee
psychiatrist, turned from his chosen path and joined Dr Samy Last as senior
registrar in the new department of clinical neurophysiology at the London
Hospital in Whitechapel.
Leo's arrival is remembered as bringing the buzz of an unusually sparkling
and interesting personality combined with an intense practical and
intellectual interest in the applications of clinical neurophysiology across
medical and surgical disciplines. This approach to his chosen subject,
especially electroencephalography (EEG), was to remain throughout his
professional life.
Appointed consultant clinical neurophysiologist at the Midland Centre for
Neurosurgery and Neurology in 1964, and at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Birmingham from 1972, Leo worked to develop a first-class clinical service
throughout the United Birmingham Hospitals and beyond, and to the Prison
Service. He trained a generation of clinical neurophysiologists and
technicians, taking endless trouble as mentor to each and all. His reward was
their lifelong loyalty and affection.
Leo did not publish extensively. He was essentially a collaborator and used
his skills to study dysfunction of the nervous system, particularly due to
metabolic or toxic encephalopathies and neuropathies. This extended into a
continuing interest in intraoperative EEG monitoring of open heart surgery and
the associated effects of anaesthesia, profound hypothermia and arterial
hypotension, as well as monitoring during carotid artery surgery.
Leo was educated at Oundle, then chose to study medicine at his father's
Alma Mater, the University of Capetown, South Africa, where he qualified MBChB
in 1957. He returned to England to train in psychiatry, and gained the
MRCPsych in 1972 and was elected FRCPsych in 1979; having already married Joy
de Kock, a talented artist, who was to be his life companion.
Memories of Leo are inseparable from his personality, remembered as bright,
delightful and friendly, but also as some-what eccentric and on occasions even
mystical. ‘Leo stories’ abounded throughout his career. His tastes
in headgear and motor cars were all his own: a University of Capetown rowing
cap to set off a bright yellow MG Midget; and a deerstalker, shortsleeved
shirt and a topless, sideless jeep — in the snows — are fondly
remembered. His letters were written on note paper decorated with intriguing
emblems (such as phrenology heads or fragments of EEG). His clinical reports
could contain, in addition to an interesting novel electroclinical
observation, unexpected information such as ‘I've found my car, did I
tell you I had lost it?’
In spite of his professed impatience with bureaucracy and administrators,
Leo was active in the local district and parish councils. He was a very
effective Chairman of Bromsgrove and Redditch Health Authority for 3 years. He
also served in the Territorial Army.
Leo did locums in his retirement and was reporting EEGs until 2 weeks
before his death.
He leaves his wife, Joy, and two daughters.
