Articles

PHYSICIANS AS MEN OF LITERATURE

Dr. A. SANKARA RAO

            Books and patients are important in the life of a physican. Without patients, Medicine cannot be an art. Without books, it cannot be a science. The field of Medicine is replete with Physicians who have written a wide range of books in their chosen specialities. This narrative does not refer to such books and physicians but to those doctors who have contributed much to the field of literature.

            Medical literature began in Galen’s time. Hippcratic corpus was the only basis of scientific medical knowledge. During the medieval times, monks had several medical books at their disposal, brought from Greece and Rome. After the invention of Printing press, acquiring medical knowledge became relatively easier due the publication of many text books and medical journals. Curiously enough, the field of literature with its infinite variety of books has always attracted the attentions of many serious minded physicians. The physician does not exist who after a few hours of such light reading, does not return to his serious work. G.K. Chesterton said clinical leterature is a luxury and fiction is a necessity.

            It would be intersting to note that quite a few doctors have carved a niche for themselves in the field of literature. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, known for his stories of Sherlock Holmes is one such. He used his Porfessor Dr. Bell as a model for his famous detective. He used the name Holmes as a mark of respect for Dr. Oliver Vendal Holmes. Dr. Oliver Vendal Holmes, incidentally, was not only a great anatomist but also agreat writer. One of his popular works is “Autocrat at the Breakfast Table”. Dr. Conan Doyle also authored a historical novel. “White company” His interests ranged from boxing to table repping. Dr. Frank Slaughter took a cue from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and wrote a number of detective novels in the recent past.

            Talking about himself, Somerset Manghm once said “ I don’t know anything better than to spend some years in Medical Profession”. Born is Paris, Manghm studied medicine in UK. This doctors finally ended up as a proflific writer with many shrot strories, plays and novels to his name. A.J. Cronin is another among these physicians to have written several novels, the most famous being “Citadel”. The famous Dr. William Osler, known for his medical books wrote “Equanimitus” which became quite popular in the medical world.

            Dr. Richard Gordon and Robin Cook authored several best sellers. They made a notable contribution to the section of pulpfiction. The famous Doctor series of Richard Gordon abounds in wit and humour. As a writer of pulp-fiction, Robin Cook has few equals. He put his medical knowledge to the best use in his books “Coma” and “Fever”.

            Our non English medical friends did not lag behind. A Spanish phychiatrist Felix Ibanez Marti wrote several books on medical history and literature.  Axel Manthe, a grat Swedish Neurologist & Hypnotist wrote a book called the story of san Michael which went for more than sixty editions. The famous Anton Chekov, a Russian Doctor wrote several books. Today he is known to the world as a gifted playwright.

            Interestingly enough, the field of medicine caught the imagination of many a writer  who have used medical afflictions in moulding their characters. The Psychotic strate of cervantes Don Quixote is easily discernable to any reader. The Russian Novelist Dostoyevsky  wrote extensively about epilepsy, while trying to portray the cfharacter of the Protagonist Raskolnikov, in this master piece Crime & Punishemnt. The fascinating study of the Psyche of man continued to be the source of inspiration of rmany writers. R.L. Stevenson’s creation of the schizohrenic doctor, Dr. jekyll, is noteworthy I his regard. Endless pursuit in this field of study produced many important works. Sir Robert Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy deserves to mentioned here.

            Mention must be made of Telugu doctors in this regard. Dr. Kommuri Venugopala Rao and Dr. Paruchuri Rajaram, with their immense talent and creativity, have earned their well-deserved place in the field of literature.

            I might have omitted the names of many doctors, who have contributed to literature, inadvertently.

            Medicine and literature are inseperable. What Medicine is to the body, literature is to the sould and it is very esential thay they stray in communion to preserve life.

            To end on a humorous note.

            Letamenoy, a Spanish Physician and a great philosopher said that a Physician who knows only Medicine does not know even Medicine.