THE MEDICAL MEMORIES ROADSHOW
‘To understand where we are today
We have to know where we have come from’
DR. HUGH HOWORTH
'We Only Got Here Because Of The Beer'
"Just over 160 Years ago, James Howorth and Company was formed at 46 - 48 Market Street in Farnworth. In the beginning the Company was renowned for its “Archimedean Screw Ventilator” which was so successful it led to the building of the Victoria Works Factory.
Hugh Howorth's Father developed fog filtration systems for textile mills.
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During certain times in the year fog created fog cotton which was not white and could not be returned to white due to smog content in the fog Sep - Nov
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During these periods the mills could not operate and so the workers were sent home. In around 1920 parliament passed a bill stating workers had to be paid and so the solution was to filter out the fog
In 1921 UK Breweries could only manufacture Beer due to Air Borne Contamination from Horse Drawn Traffic and, as most breweries were built near Docks, the Contamination from the ships.
In the Fermentation Rooms of the Breweries if the batch became contaminated the Brewery not only lost the Brew but they also lost the Excise Duty which they had already paid on it.
Their introduction meant three things: -
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The breweries could sell their clean yeast to other breweries
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They did not need to throw away the batch and the excise duty with it
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The standard of the product was constant
Friary brewery Guildford was the first to look at installing the system. The head brewer was a Mr Huxley who told Howorth that: -
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If the system was 80% effective then 80% of the final bill would be paid
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If the system was 60% effective then 60% of the final bill would be paid
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If the system was 90% effective then 100% of the final bill would be paid - independent microbiological testing would be carried out
The system was 98% effective!
During World War 2 Howorth's were involved in manufacturing parts for the war effort. They were told what was needed and they made it.
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On the death of his Father during World War 2 Hugh Howorth was an Instructor with the Royal Corp of Signals.
As a result of the bombing raids during World War 2 a lot of the breweries - which were located in and around the docks - were bombed and so Howorth's had to re-supply the equipment.
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At the end of the War he came home to run the Family Firm but he also became involved in the new Motor Racing Craze that was developing in the Post War Years.
Between 1946 – 1953 he designed built and raced his own Lagonda’s and Jaguar Racing Cars – beating the Bentley Drivers Club at there own Race in 1949 and as he said Himself
‘When you come Second to Stirling Moss it gets a bit sickening!’
Hugh Howorth was approached by the Royal College of Surgeons Faculty of Anaesthesia with a request for his assistance with a problem that had come to light in America.
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A report had been released detailing the fact that anaesthetists were passing out at the wheel of their cars following a day in theatre.
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The more important factor was the fact that theatre nurses were suffering miscarriages as a result of their work in theatre. It was suggested that these incidents were related to the high levels of exhaled anaesthetic gas that was present in the theatres.
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The Royal College of Surgeons needed someone independent to look into this problem because if they carried out the research it would not be taken seriously because they had a vested interest in the outcome.
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His research led to the development of the first anaesthetic gas scavenging system which was introduced into hospitals throughout the United Kingdom.
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The Department of Health approached Hugh Howorth with a problem they had. Before anything could be done Hugh was asked to sign the Official Secrets Act!
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​The problem was that pathologists were dying whilst carrying out postmortems.
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Hugh discovered that the problem was down to the gases released whilst performing the postmortem. If the person had died as a result of cyanide poisoning. As soon as the pathologist did the ‘Y’ incision the cyanide gas was released. This research led Hugh Howorth to design a
Postmortem table.
Hugh Howorth brought his vast knowledge and experience to deal with the problems presented by a revolutionary new form of Surgery
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“In 1961, I was summoned — not invited — to the presence at Wrightington.”
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”Howorth, I want a Clean Air System free from contaminants for my hip joint replacement operation.”
I said. “Well Mr Charnley, I don’t see a problem!”
”What do you mean Howorth; of course there is a problem!”
I explained to him. “Mr Charnley, I am used to designing bacterial elimination systems for Brewery Fermenting Room’s. Unfermented yeast may not be contaminated.”
“If it is you scrap the brew and you scrap the Excise Duty as well!”
LISTEN TO THE MAN HIMSELF
RECOUNT THAT VERY FIRST MEETING
AND THE BAND PLAYED ON!
I had repeatedly been asked by surgeons if there was any way to do away with the fixed side panels as they were too restrictive.
Every year I spent the last two weeks of November and the first two weeks in December in Barbados.
That particular year I went to the Hotel as usual and spent a very enjoyable evening listening to a Brass Band Concert.
The following morning I spent time sitting under a Palm Tree thinking over the problem of the restrictiveness of the fixed side panels.
My mind went back to the Band Concert and it struck me the answer had been there all the time.
If you took the way the air is expelled from the bell of a Trumpet and then turned that downwards through 90 degrees it gave you the Exponential Air Flow you needed to remove the side panels because the negative pressure supplied by the extractor fans around the perimeter of the canopy would remove the contaminated air from the Theatre safely
(Taken in part from the interview with Dr H Howorth)
