Clinically integrated studies in pathology: their contribution to atherosclerosis research.

This article, prepared in honor of Daria Haust, reviews some features of research into atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease over the past 150 years, and beyond. Attention is drawn to problems arising when people of strong personality dominate a particular field of research to the exclusion of pertinent observations that do not fit neatly into their particular paradigm. As the world becomes more complex and, in theory at least, communications between scientists become easier, these dangers are not necessarily diminished. Clinical medicine in its broadest sense must continue to relate in the traditional way to the specialties grouped within pathology. Undergraduates must receive instruction concerning the importance of the historical record and an understanding of the nature of science, its strengths, limitations, and boundaries.