Advances in Medicine
As the history of medicine has evolved, a number of trends and prevailing opinions have swept the profession. One of the most subtle, and yet most revealing results of these sweeping trends manifests itself by altering the tone in medical conversations and dialogues, often available to the non-medical person in the form of texts and literature. A relatively current example appears in the form of Perri Klass' A Not Entirely Benign Procedure, a text dedicated to the experiences of the author at Harvard Medical School. Published in 1987, Klass' work offers an interesting, if not shocking comparison to Philippe Pinel's "The Clinical Training of Doctors," an article published in 1783. It seems that, despite the obvious advancements and progress in medical technology and general care, the modern Klass presents less certainty about the profession and its abilities than does the eighteenth century article. In Pinel's article, however, a distinct tone of holistic healing pervades the proposed training of physicians-the lack of which Klass bemoans in her work. The contrast between the two works affords the reader a view into two parallel transitions in medicine: the decline of certainty and the decline of holistic care.
An odd, but unmistakable parallel begins to emerge from a comparison of these two works by Klass and Pinel. While medicine supposedly advances as history progresses, certain vital aspects are noticeably missing. Advances have led to some understanding, as evidenced by Klass, that the search for cure should not serve as the model for the role of the physician. The implications of this understanding, however, do not manifest themselves in modern medicine, where a failure to cure represents a failure of medicine, and a failure on the part of the physician. Without the benefits of technology and, more importantly, without the benefits of the radically influential ideas of Heisenberg and others, Pinel hopes and writes assuming that every cure can be found through careful scrutiny and observation. He also writes knowing that physicians in his day do not successfully cure all patients. It seems that from this practical knowledge, Pinel derives his argument for a holistic approach to medicine: "train their judgment rather than their memory and inspire them with that noble enthusiasm for the healing art that masters all difficulties." Technology has afforded modern medicine with the illusion that more tests and more procedures can cure the patient-an illusion not too far removed from that of Pinel. Unfortunately, in the case of modern medicine, the need for more holistic methods of care-giving, as illustrated in the writings of Klass, remains unsatisfied, despite evidence indicating that even the most precise observation and care cannot solve all problems. While progress in medicine has left unparalleled technology and knowledge at the disposal of the modern physician, it has left behind a holistic and comforting manner of care that would greatly enrich the role of the physician and medicine. As the best method to teach medicine, Pinel advocates the training of the physician as a comforter, as well as a healer. He remarks on a number of psych
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Approximate Word count = 1313
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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