Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings April 2014, Volume 27, Number 2 | Page 93

6. Cold bath on waking in the morning; and another after
getting up in the afternoon.
Dr. Stewart Roberts began in the private practice of medicine and later became professor of clinical medicine at Emory
Medical School. He was active in many medical societies, had
a literary interest, and was a prolific author. It was written that
“his papers . . . were masterpieces of learning and style.” His
essay, “The Doctor,” serves as an example: “Born of science and
suffering, he lives amid the sadness of death and the gladness of
birth. Pain is his problem and his pursuit, death his constant
enemy, and the exactness of science is his strong right arm.” In
total, the book contains 120 pages of his writings.
William Clifford Roberts was one of three children of
Dr. Stewart R. Roberts. He studied to become an internist
like his father but was subsequently attracted to the field of
pathology and focused mainly on research of heart disease.
After a distinguished 28-year career as the chief pathologist
at the National Institutes of Health, he began a second career at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Baylor University
Medical Center at Dallas. He has reached 20 years in this,
his current role.
He also inherited his father’s “writing bug” and authored
or coauthored >1600 scientific publications on cardiovascular
disease. For more than 30 years, he has served, and continues
to serve, as the editor in chief of The American Journal of Cardiology and in a similar role for nearly 20 years now as editor
of Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings. In his role as
editor, he has reviewed >60,000 manuscripts and as a lecturer
he has visited >2200 cities. In addition to heart-related topics,
his writings and lectures cover the importance of the physical
examination, the relevance of autopsies, advice to young physi-

April 2014

cians, and preventive lifestyles. Dr. Bill Roberts is widely quoted
with memorable sayings, such as:
• “Hospitals are the most expensive hotels in the world.”
• “The only absolute, unequivocal, independent atherosclerotic risk factor is an elevated LDL cholesterol.”
• “The more we weigh, the sooner we die.”
• “You should limit the flesh you eat to fish.”
• “You kill the cow, you eat the cow, and the cow kills you.”
• “Statin drugs are to atherosclerosis what penicillin was to
infectious disease.”
The author of the book, Charles Stewart Roberts, is the
second of the four children of Dr. William Clifford Roberts and
followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps into medicine yet strayed to become a heart surgeon. The love of writing
persisted in the gene pool; he has authored or coauthored 50
medical publications, 35 other writings, and also 27 poems
to date. The habits, recommendations, and accomplishments
of medical luminaries are of particular interest to Dr. Charles
Roberts. Many vignettes of such are included in the book.
The writings of Dr. Stewart Roberts, Dr. William Clifford
Roberts, and Dr. Charles Stewart Roberts (chapters 5, 6, and 7)
in this book read as essays or short stories. Many are instructive,
and all are quite interesting for those who enjoy biographical
lessons and the history of medicine. Reflecting back to the goal
mentioned in the introduction, I am sure that the two sons of
the author will be quite proud of this compilation of their ancestors. I suspect the author’s two daughters will also be pleased.
The reviewer, F. David Winter Jr., MD, is an internist on the medical staff of
Baylor University Medical Center and chief clinical officer and chairman of the
board of HealthTexas Provider Network.

Book review

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