HOW sad to read of the premature death from cancer of Sally Silver, soprano in opera and concerts (Obituaries, December 5).

My wife and I attended her debut with Scottish Opera and Lucia Di Lammermoor has been a favourite opera ever since. When, as her obituary reports, she injured her leg, the opera stopped, curtain down for 10 minutes. Lucia has her elderly nurse Alisa in the cast and so it was she who pushed the requisitioned wheelchair when act one resumed. At the first interval, I offered my medical expertise, indicating which bar I would be in, and was advised that there was ap hysiotherapist.

I almost got to meet Ms Silver later that evening. During act two Lucia is married off to Arturo, rather than her lover Edgardo, and half faints when the latter returns. At the second interval, the call came out for a doctor. Hurrying downstairs, I was disappointed when a more fleet-of-foot colleague got there first. Memories of a great voice, a splendid opera and Scottish Opera, a terrific company.

Dr Philip Gaskell,

Woodlands Lodge, Drymen.

IN the comprehensive obituary following the death of the statistician, David Finney (The Herald, December 6), tributes were paid to the contribution he made to the Committee on the Safety of Medicines, which was established in 1963 in the wake of the thalidomide tragedy.

The committee was chaired by the distinguished physician, Sir Derrick Dunlop who had held the Chair of Therapeutics at Edinburgh University. Among his many attributes, Sir Derrick was noted for his sense of humour.

As a criticising pharmacist at

that time, I recalled his definition of therapeutics which, if my memory serves me correctly, ran along the lines of: “The practice of administering medicines about which we understand little, to patients about whom we understand less.”

It is to be hoped that we now understand a little more about both medicines and patients.

Malcolm Allan,

2 Tofthill Gardens,

Bishopbriggs,

Glasgow.