In 1921, Aladár Petz presented his new, modernised stomach suturing machine at the congress of the Hungarian Surgical Society. The event was attended by the inventor of the suturing machine, Hümér Hültl, who was also known as the “Paganini of the scalpel” for his surgical virtuosity. Legend has it that after the demonstration, Hültl borrowed Petz’s machine, sewed a line on his leather spectacle case and exclaimed, “This is better!” He later discontinued the manufacture of his own suturing machine.