Advances in Medicine

Posted by Alex

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.