History shows that periodically it becomes neces­sary to re-examine some of our folkways in order that we may put them in proper perspective. As Don James has indicated, the practice of medicine has a rich history of folklore with its mixture of fact and fiction. This history is still in the making. Folk and Modern Medicine shows us that we are not far re­moved from the shaman of 40,000 years ago.

It is not uncommon for us to chuckle a bit as we read about the blood-letters of the 18th century and before. "How could they have done such things without any scientific evidence?" we ask. Yet today, medicine is still largely empirical. It was only 30 years ago that septicemia (bacterial infection of the blood stream) was treated with intravenous merthiolate, shortly before the era of "miracle drugs."

Our sense of history should tell us, of course, that in a very few years the scientist of the future will shake his head and say "incredible" when he reads about our use of such "deadly poisons" as the sulfon-amides and discusses some of our "archaic" methods such as the barbaric use of electro-shock for mental illness, the use of surgery in treatment of malignant tumors and duodenal ulcers.

We should remember, also, that medicine, as with all disciplines, has suffered from growing pains; that new ideas were met with great resistance, as they are, in part, today. They were not considered new, per se; they were "different" and, therefore, dangerous. It took men with the rare combination of courage, imagination and judgment to question and to change; men who could ignore public disapproval, frequently at great personal sacrifice. ,

Dr. William Withering, in 1785, learned of digitalis from a humble farmer. I wonder how many con­temporary physicians could swallow their pride and listen to suggestions of people outside the medical fraternity. Not many of us would have the courage of Dr. McDowell, who was criticized bitterly by the medical profession and the public for daring to perform what turned out to be the first successful ab­dominal operation in American medical history.

We are only now becoming sophisticated enough to realize that what is "fact" today may be fable tomor­row, what is the latest "modern" treatment today, may be archaic tomorrow. The scientist of yesterday creates the folklore of today.

Mr. James reveals to us that common thread running through the past, present and future. It is not only a linear, medical thread, but an ecological one as well, containing threads from all fields of endeavor. Pasteur could not possibly have made his great discoveries without the aid of an amateur lens grinder called Leeuwenhoek, who discovered microbes with an instru­ment called the microscope. Our modern nurse is re­cording body temperatures with a thermometer in­vented by a maverick named Galileo. Nuclear physics, in its search for a destructive weapon, has given us treatments for malignant disease.

It is a strange paradox, perhaps, that science has now posed a double threat: man's destruction through newer weapons and overpopulation through newer medicines. I am sure, however, with a larger popula­tion, that we will be blessed with a greater number of people with that triad of courage, imagination and judgment, who will provide us with the newer solutions —for today's science may be tomorrow's folklore.

FOLK AND MODERN MEDICINE is a timely and informative book on a subject that literally fascinates millions of people in our modern world. Mr. James' approach is simple and forthright. His research has been extensive and the work is obviously a labor of love—a work undertaken with sincerity and studious application.

Reading the book can be a rewarding and exciting experience. In fact, the reader will find himself carried along by the narrative sweep of Mr. James' style and the sheer human interest of the varying facets of medicine that come under his attention.

Furthermore, the book is highlighted by many vivid case histories that breathe life and color into the material while bringing home with great force the impact of the ever-changing face of medicine and the never-ending fight of the medical profession against disease.

Victor Gregory, M. D.

NOTE:

Dr. Victor Gregory, is a graduate of the Univer­sity of Illinois School of Medicine. After serving for a time as Medical Director of the Red Cross Blood Bank in Portland, Oregon, he entered the field of industrial medicine and surgery, and subsequently engaged in general practice before embarking upon a career in psychiatry. He is presently a resident physi­cian in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oregon Medical School. His interest in medical history is deep-sealed and extends into other fields of science including anthropology and marine biology.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...