A Doctor Facing Turbulent Times: Antoni Tomasz Jurasz, Citizen of the World

The eponymous of the Jurasz procedure is Antoni Tomasz Jurasz (1882–1961). The procedure is a standard approach to treating mature pancreatic pseudocysts that are in contact with the stomach, although recent advances in instrumentation have empowered surgeons to perform pseudocystogastrostomy laparoscopically for this problem. Dr. Jurasz was born in Germany but felt himself as Polish as his ancestors. He graduated from Heidelberg with a degree in medicine. Over the following years, he developed a German surgery school, especially helping with the achievements of Erich Lexer and Erwin Payr. During the period between World Wars I and II, Jurasz chaired and led the Surgery Clinic of Poznan University in Poland; and he gave lectures and performed public operations abroad. These activities, together with articles published in German-, French-, and English-language medical journals, made him a world-renowned figure in the field of abdominal and thyroid surgery. During World War II, he revealed exceptional traits, taking part in the September Campaign in Poland as a surgeon. He then organized the Polish School of Medicine and the Paderewski Hospital in Edinburgh. Despite his outstanding mind, generosity, and merits, A. T. Jurasz became persona non grata in Communist Poland, which ultimately persuaded him to emigrate to the United States

Fiscal Challenges Facing the New Member States

This paper provides an analysis of the fiscal challenges faced by the eight transition economies, which joined the European Union (EU) in May 2004. More than half of them run excessive fiscal deficits being partly a legacy of an early transition period, partly – a consequence of additional accession-related costs. In addition, the long-term fiscal outlook, connected with the consequences of population ageing, is dramatic. On the other hand, the perspective of Economic and Monetary Union entry should provide the new member states with a strong incentive to reduce their deficits now because waiting (and postponing both fiscal adjustment and the adoption of the euro) will only result in higher cumulative fiscal costs. Comparative Economic Studies (2006) 48, 252–276. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ces.8100159

Whence reform? A critique of the Stiglitz perspective

This paper discusses the key hypotheses which Joseph Stiglitz proposed, in his wide-ranging critique of the “Washington Consensus”, with regard to transition reforms and economic policies in China and Russia. The primary purpose is to evaluate the Stiglitz perspective in the light of empirical evidence, including the experience of countries outside China and Russia. Although some of the points Stiglitz makes are important for understanding what has happened in the transition, this paper argues that his perspective mis-interprets the key facts of the Chinese transition, mis-describes the facts of the Russian transition and fails to consider the theoretical and policy implications of the success of a “third model”, which is represented by some Central European and Baltic transitions.Stiglitz, China, Russia, transition, debate, perspectives,

Whence reform? A critique of the Stiglitz perspective

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