From Scalpel to Spade：A Surgeon’s Road to Ithaka

This delightful memoir is the story of a life well lived—a Hong Kong doctor who worked as a surgeon for over fifty years and who later turned his hand to his other great passion, gardening. At times amusing, at times heartbreaking, and at other times educational and instructive, he describes real-life cases and the medical causes of illnesses, including many incredible stories of life-saving operations that will keep you riveted to your seat.

Interspersing these chapters are tales from his fascinating personal life, and reflections on his journey to becoming an expert gardener. Throughout the book is woven the metaphor of the author’s journey to Ithaka, as described in a moving poem of the same name that charts a path for how to live a life ‘full of adventure, full of discovery’. Beautifully written in a lively, engaging style, this book is sure to win the hearts of many, whether they personally knew this respected and well-loved surgeon/gardener, or whether they simply—after reading this book—wish that they knew him.

Arthur van Langenberg has lived in Hong Kong all his life except for four years in Macau during World War II and two years in Britain undergoing medical training. He has practised surgery for some fifty years, first at the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, and then in private practice.

His lifelong interest in reading and gardening has helped him morph from surgeon to gardener and writer, finding fulfilment and a simpler way of life over the years.

Arthur van Langenberg is well known among the gardeners in Hong Kong. However, they may not know how respected a surgeon he is, in particular his caring approach to patients. This book will give them a glimpse of the medical aspect of this seasoned gardener . . . The real-life stories that he has recorded are so captivating. I am sure that given Arthur’s writing skill, he could turn each story into a single volume.

— Chow Shew Ping, Professor Emeritus, University of Hong Kong

The real-life cases at the scalpel’s edge are riveting. Less dramatic but no less engaging are the episodes on what life was like when learning to master the scalpel and developing the clinical sense of when to wield it or not … Senior colleagues will surely recognise the characters in the book, with a smile.

— Dr Rose Mak, Chairperson, Management Committee, Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences Society

Foreword by Professor Chow Shew Ping / xiii

Foreword by Dr Kwan Po Yuen (in English and Chinese) / xv

Preface / xix

Acknowledgements / xxi

I THE WORLD OF MEDICINE

1. A Day in the Life of a Surgeon / 3

2. What is a Surgeon? A Bit of History / 7

3. Medical School / 9

4. The Clinical Years / 15

5. Call Me Doctor / 19

6. Training to be a Surgeon / 25

7. Swinging London / 31

8. Liverpool / 39

9. Murder Most Foul / 45

10. Return to Academe / 49

11. Emergencies / 55

12. Burnout / 65

13. Teacher and Students / 71

II HOME AND HERITAGE

14. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic / 83

15. The World of Books / 87

16. Heritage, Language and Identity / 91

17. Fusion Food: The Ties that Bind / 99

18. Our Furry Friends / 103

19. The Sea, the Sea / 107

20. A Tree Grows in Shouson Hill / 111

III DOCTORS AND PATIENTS

21. Private Practice / 121

22. Limitations in Private Practice / 125

23. The Canossian Sisters and Their Hospital / 131

24. The Reluctant Superintendent / 135

25. The Archbishop / 141

26. The Consul / 145

27. Ho Mui the Fisherwoman / 149

28. Russia: In Search of a New Stapler / 153

29. Sidewalk Consultations and Good Samaritans / 157

30. Doctors as Patients / 161

31. Relatives and Friends / 169

32. Life, Death and Everything Between / 173

33. The Unkindest Cut of All / 181

34. A Personal Crisis / 185

35. Everybody’s Little Problem / 189

36. Variations on a Theme of Identity / 195

IV TRANSITION

37. The Surgeon as Counsellor / 203

38. Diet and Wellness / 209

39. The Writing Bug Bites / 215

40. From Scalpel to Spade / 219

41. The Medical Museum Garden / 229

42. The Surgeon/Gardener Link / 233

43. Identity Revealed / 235

44. Nature’s Cycle / 239

45. Responsible Living / 243

46. A Day in the Life of a Gardener / 247

Appendix: Sartorial Considerations for the Gardener / 259