.MTM5Nw.MTIwNzY4: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "19 those who were deeply and truly committed to the relief of humanity and the service of science. But don't you think that the general public recognition of good and evil h...") |
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are completing their medical education as house officer in our hospitals, | are completing their medical education as house officer in our hospitals, | ||
have come to consider the patients as illustrations in text | have come to consider the patients as illustrations in text | ||
books, placed in their hands purely for their | books, placed in their hands purely for their edification." | ||
"I wondered ^'sometimes' if they even cared to study me as a text book!" | "I wondered ^'sometimes' if they even cared to study me as a text book!" | ||
"How often were you seen by a mature, competent doctor?" | "How often were you seen by a mature, competent doctor?" | ||
"Not very often, they didn't seem to be much involved." | "Not very often, they didn't seem to be much involved." | ||
"In effect, then, you didn't have your choice. But you choose | "In effect, then, you didn't have your choice. But you choose | ||
your lawyer, or your minister, or your plumber. You choose your friends. | your lawyer, or your minister, or your plumber. You choose your friends. | ||
And yet you don't have your choice in that extremely important relationship | And yet you don't have your choice in that extremely important relationship | ||
between you, injured, helpless and bewildered as you | between you, injured, helpless and bewildered as you | ||
were, and the person qualified to save and | were, and the person qualified to save and sustain you. It was | ||
lucky that Miss Effie contrived to retain a choice!" | lucky that Miss Effie contrived to retain a choice!" | ||
"It surely was. I owe my recovery to her. But now | "It surely was. I owe my recovery to her. But now | ||
Doctor, if I understand you correctly, the medical world | Doctor, if I understand you correctly, the medical world | ||
has evolved from the horse and buggy but somehow | has evolved from the horse and buggy but somehow | ||
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and shifted its ideals - or has it lost them? Do changes in | and shifted its ideals - or has it lost them? Do changes in | ||
methods necessarily imply changes in purpose?" | methods necessarily imply changes in purpose?" | ||
"I think I'd rather give you a literary answer, at least | "I think I'd rather give you a literary answer, at least | ||
for the moment. You've probably read some of the books of that | for the moment. You've probably read some of the books of that | ||
curious writer, Kafka? Perhaps you remember a | curious writer, Kafka? Perhaps you remember a maxim | ||
which reads something like this - I can't give it to you | which reads something like this - I can't give it to you | ||
exactly: "Leopards broke in and drank the sacrificial chalices | exactly: "Leopards broke in and drank the sacrificial chalices | ||
dry - This happened repeatedly, until it became a part of | dry - This happened repeatedly, until it became a part of | ||
the ceremony." | the ceremony." | ||
"The | "The acolytes didn't turn into leopards, you mean." | ||
"But they not only failed to defend the | "But they not only failed to defend the chalice against | ||
Latest revision as of 04:19, 4 August 2021
19
those who were deeply and truly committed to the relief of humanity and the service of science. But don't you think that the general public recognition of good and evil has faded to such an extent that there is no longer a moral frame of reference. The concept of self-commitment as something to inspire admiration seems to have vanished; so its hardly to be wondered at that the young people who are completing their medical education as house officer in our hospitals, have come to consider the patients as illustrations in text books, placed in their hands purely for their edification."
"I wondered ^'sometimes' if they even cared to study me as a text book!" "How often were you seen by a mature, competent doctor?" "Not very often, they didn't seem to be much involved." "In effect, then, you didn't have your choice. But you choose
your lawyer, or your minister, or your plumber. You choose your friends. And yet you don't have your choice in that extremely important relationship between you, injured, helpless and bewildered as you were, and the person qualified to save and sustain you. It was lucky that Miss Effie contrived to retain a choice!"
"It surely was. I owe my recovery to her. But now
Doctor, if I understand you correctly, the medical world has evolved from the horse and buggy but somehow in the course of that evolution, it has changed its character and shifted its ideals - or has it lost them? Do changes in methods necessarily imply changes in purpose?"
"I think I'd rather give you a literary answer, at least
for the moment. You've probably read some of the books of that curious writer, Kafka? Perhaps you remember a maxim which reads something like this - I can't give it to you exactly: "Leopards broke in and drank the sacrificial chalices dry - This happened repeatedly, until it became a part of the ceremony." "The acolytes didn't turn into leopards, you mean." "But they not only failed to defend the chalice against