The life and times of Arthur Schüller (1874–1957) are the subject of a new book entitled Arthur Schüller: Founder of Neuroradiology, A Life on Two Continents and an accompanying documentary called Xrays to Exile. Schüller was a distinguished pioneer in the field of neuroradiology. His research rapidly made him the pre-eminent authority on radiology of the skull and brain, particularly after the publication of his monograph on diseases of the head, which became the standard textbook throughout the “classic era” of neuroradiology. He authored another book and more than 300 scientific articles and is credited with the first descriptions of 3 diseases and 3 operations.
Schüller was a refugee, fleeing Austria with his wife and settling in Melbourne in 1939. The narrative of his career is woven into the personal history of his family. Tragically, his later years were darkened by the news from Europe that his 2 sons had perished in a concentration camp.
The biography was written by Keith Henderson (1923–2017) who, as a young neurosurgical trainee at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, met and worked with Schüller. Later, Henderson served for many years as the Head of the Neurosurgery Unit at St. Vincent’s. Keith’s son, Michael, Professor of Surgery at the University of Melbourne, completed the book after his father’s death.
The 30-minute documentary film on Schüller’s career and family history is available for free viewing at https://youtu.be/YhRLobn-Ubw and provides a rich visual backdrop to Schüller’s story.
