Some Medical Humorists

A bit of humor now and then is welcomed by every class of thinkers, no matter how serious minded may be their daily routine. According to Bergson, humor is a lively sense of the incongruous in the world and in life. It is not strange that physicians should see much humor in their work, since no men see life more intimately than they do. Unfortunately, too few record humorously the things they have seen. Thus, Broxholme, first Radcliffe Fellow at Oxford, although known as one of the wittiest men of his time, nevertheless left nothing permanent as a monument to his wit and humor. In the great literature of humor there appear, however, the names of many physicians. Their works are often tinged with scientific observations or similes characteristic of the medically trained author. The works of Goldsmith, Lever and Smollett, noted English writers, are conspicuous examples. Foremost among medical humorists are the two recently selected by Douglas as the subject of his Harveian Oration before the Edinburgh Harveian Society. One, Rabelais, was a Frenchman; the other, Oliver Wendell Holmes, an American. They are aptly characterized as “laughing philosophers,” full of quaint quips and witticisms at the foibles of their time and the failings of human nature. Douglas makes an excellent analysis of their work, particularly from the medical point of view. He mentions Rabelais’ great attempt to reform methods of education, and po ints out that he was interested in the study of the wor...
Source: JAMA - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research