Introduction: John Weiss (1773-1843) was born in Rostock, Germany. He was the son of George Weiss, who was the Master Cutler to the Rostock Guild of Smiths. While living in England for 31 years, he founded the surgical instrument company, "John Weiss & Co" in 1787 which would later be joined by his son, Frederick Weiss. Amongst his company's large inventory, John Weiss is credited with inventing the first "applicable lithotriptor" and manufacturing catalogues of instruments for notable surgeons in the 18th and 19th century. This paper seeks to recount Weiss' role in the development of lithotripsy, but also acknowledge the role his products played in pop culture.
Methods: A review of all published journal and magazine articles on "John Weiss & Son Ltd." was performed to explore the origins of the company and early life of John Weiss. A web based search also identified numerous company catalogues dating back to the 1860s, which allowed for identification of urological instruments sold by the company. Furthermore, Weiss & Co. is identified as the manufacturer of weapons used in both actual and fictional infamous crimes.
Results: John Weiss founded the London based surgical instrument company, "John Weiss & Son" in 1787 and was even named "Razor Maker to the King" by William IV. His company pioneered catalogues of veterinary and surgical instruments, including the first applicable lithotriptor. In 1821, at a time when competition was fierce to refine stone extraction, John Weiss constructed the split beak instrument for Sir Astley Cooper. In addition to his contributions to endourology, his company has been referenced for its weaponry in pop culture. In "The Adventure of Silver Blaze," one of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, the knife found at the crime scene is marked Weiss & Co. Even more notable, Weiss surgical knives were known to be used by the late 1800s serial killer, Jack the Ripper, in London.
Conclusions: John Weiss' contributions to surgery included but also extended beyond the realm of urology. His firm still operates under the name of John Weiss & Son Ltd and is based in Buckinghamshire, England, about 50 miles northwest of London. His competitive nature fueled the evolution of lithotripsy, which continued to develop into the modern technology we have today. However, his instruments are also credited with more morbid events, including the serial killings of Jack the Ripper and the Phoenix Park Assassins in Dublin, Ireland. To continue the macabre theme of Weiss instruments, John Weiss was also known to have fashioned an instrument to penetrate his very own heart during his funeral and ensure that he was not buried alive.
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