Art – Literature – Music – Movies
In the Middle Ages, the figure of the sick man identifies the poor, the outcast and the man in need. Disease is the feature of a particular social class and therapy coincides with assistance to the poor, and with the charitable care of poverty. Poverty itself is defined “morborum genitrix (the mother of diseases)” and the sick man is […]
Jesus’ Resurrection points beyond history but has left a footprint within history. Benedict XVI – Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week p. 274
a footprint within history … Read More »
Theodore Géricault portrayed a series of psychiatric patients, performing introspective studies with almost scientific features, as required by the customer, who intended to use these paintings for educational purposes. Gericault painted real portraits, characterized by a deep analysis of man’s psychology, even though in the 19th century portraits were destinated only to important clients. This
to search for humanity … Read More »
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the
do not go gentle into that good night … Read More »
… MacAuley’s excellent essay on “Patients who make ‘wrong’ choices” … ”Ironically, for all of palliative care’s talk of total suffering, we may be unwilling to accept that a patient’s emotional suffering over choosing a palliative course of treatment may be more severe than eventual projected physical suffering from an aggressive course … In the
dylan thomas … & the palliative care box … Read More »
… Gerard Manley Hopkins … The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo (Maiden’s song from St. Winefred’s Well) The Leaden Echo How to kéep—is there ány any, is there none such, nowhere known some, bow or brooch or braid or brace, láce, latch or catch or key to keep Back beauty, keep it, beauty, beauty,
the leaden echo and the golden echo … Read More »
… Frank Davidoff in a recent Annals of Internal Medicine “Music Lessons” … “Recognition of music’s laserlike focus on performance could help us regain a more appropriate balance in medicine between knowledge and performance (between knowing and knowing how).” Perfect practice makes perfect … “Endless performance without feedback drifts into stagnation, whereas endless reflecting and
what musicians can teach doctors … Read More »
Manuel Jimenez Prieto (Aranda) (1848-1904) – Visit at the hospital. Jean Martin Charcot (probably) auscultates a patient. Oil on canvas, 1897 “Medicine was born as an Art; it has been defined by scientific features only after Hippocrates. Science itself, anyway, is bounded to art. They share the same claim: to know the essence of reality
curiosity and desire … Read More »
… Leon Fleisher … who recently played and gave Master Classes at Wichita State University. Fleisher’s own story is a powerful tale of death and resurrection which he tells in his memoirs My Nine Lives. A rising pianistic prodigy, he suffered focal dystonia in his ‘30’s and his (one) career was cut short. He continued
“music begins where words stop … “ Read More »
