"Past 49"

A familiar figure on Washington golf links is spry, white-haired Dr. Steuart Brown Muncaster. Proud of his Scottish ancestry, he sports neckties of loud clan plaids. But seldom does he wear his own Gregor, for its red and green checks are "too subdued" for his taste. For 19 years Dr. Muncaster taught ophthalmology at Georgetown University, for more years than most of his colleagues can remember he performed eye operations in the Episcopal Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. During that time he brought up a half-dozen younger surgeons, built up a legend about his generosity to charity patients. But about jovial, warmhearted Dr. Muncaster there is one dark mystery: his age. In his Who's Who in the Nation's Capital biography there is no birthdate; in his medical directory it is carefully scratched out. He looks like 60, runs around like 50, claims to be "past 49."

Last week the cat finally jumped out of the bag. In the Episcopal Hospital, Dr. Muncaster successfully removed a cataract from the eye of a 95-year-old patient. Enterprising reporters, seeing a good story, asked Dr. Muncaster his age. As usual, he refused. The reporters prodded Dr. Muncaster's old cronies, paged through medical directories. The result was a good 20 years more than anyone had suspected: age 82. In that operation patient and doctor totaled 177 years.

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