Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Twentieth Century

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Advice to the Healer

  • 841 Accesses

Abstract

The art of caring had many proponents in the twentieth century. Florence Nightingale is a name that is recognized around the world even today as someone who dedicated her life to caring for her patients. What is less well-known is the impact she had on public health, sanitation, and biostatistics. Three of the most significant teachers of medicine are discussed in this chapter. Sir William Osler took the art and teaching of medicine to a new level. He urged physicians to use all of their senses when evaluating patients and to show equanimity and imperturbability when practicing medicine. Osler appreciated that an understanding of the psychosomatic basis of illness was important, and he has been referred to as both the father of internal medicine and psychosomatic medicine. Francis Weld Peabody recognized that with the advancement of scientific discoveries, care of the patient was sometimes overlooked. He taught that an interest in humanity was an essential quality of a physician. Both Peabody and Osler recognized students in their earliest clinical years as having an excellent opportunity to learn medicine by the bedside. Albert Schweitzer taught the art of medicine by example, having committed his life to service. His philosophy of reverence for life was also an argument that he lived his life by in serving the poor at his jungle hospital in Gabon. Schweitzer taught that there was no greater motto one could follow than to live a life of service.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 34.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Nightingale tells the story of a “clever” physician who began taking a history of those with abdominal pain with the question “point your finger where you be bad.”

  2. 2.

    “They are affected by the same things, but much more quickly and seriously.”

  3. 3.

    In his article Bryan, who also coedited The Quotable Osler, provides the reader with a quote by Osler to support each admonition.

References

  1. Mosby CV. A little journey to the home of Florence Nightingale. St. Louis, MO: The Press of CV Mosby Company; 1938.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dossey B, Selanders L, Beck D, Attewell A. Florence Nightingale today: healing leadership global action. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association; 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Nightingale F. Notes on nursing and hospitals. Birmingham AL: The Classics of Medicine Library; 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Pennock MR. Makers of nursing history. New York: Lakeside Publishing Company; 1940.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Mackowiak P. Post mortem: solving histories great medical mysteries. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Physicians; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Osler, W. Aequanimatus, McGraw-Hill, Third Edition, The Blakiston Division, New York, 1 Mar 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Osler Library Newsletter, no. 108, 2007 Osler Library of the History of Medicine. McGill University, Montréal (Québec) Canada. http://en.­wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Osler. Accessed May 2009. http://www.mcgill.ca/files/osler-library/No1082007.pdf

  8. Osler, W. Preface to the second edition: Oxford July 1906. Aequanimatus, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.; 1939

    Google Scholar 

  9. Osler, W. Teacher and student. Valedictory address to University of Minnesota, 1892. Aequanimatus. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.; 1939. p. 23–41

    Google Scholar 

  10. Institute of Medicine. Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. To err is human: building a safer health system. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bryan CS. Osler: inspirations from a great physician. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bryan CS. What is the oslerian tradition. Ann Intern Med. 1994;1(20):8.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Cushing H. The life of Sir William Osler. Oxford: Clarendon; 1925.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Peabody FW. Doctor and patient. New York: The Macmillan Company; 1930.

    Google Scholar 

  15. http://www.schweitzerfellowship.org/features/about/phil/

  16. Meyer M. Reverence for Life: The Ethics of Albert Schweitzer for the Twenty-First Century Edited By: Marvin Meyer and Kurt BergelReviewed Edition: Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, New York, 2002ISBN 0-8156-2977-XSoftcover, 350 pages. Reference accesible by goint to: http://home.pcisys.net/∼jnf/schabout/ra20.html

    Google Scholar 

  17. Schweitzer A. Out of my life and thought: an autobiography. New York/Baltimore, MD: Henry Holte and Co./Johns Hopkins University Press; 1998. Trans. Antje Bultmann Lemke.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Schweitzer A (1954) The problem of peace. Nobel lecture http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1952/schweitzer-lecture.html

Nightingale

  • Nightingale F. Notes on nursing and hospitals. Birmingham, AL: The Classics of Medicine Library; 1982.

    Google Scholar 

Osler

  • The Osler history of medicine library at McGill University houses a tremendous number of resources, references, photos, and other links related to the works of Sir William Osler. http://www.mcgill.ca/osler-library

  • References cited by Osler History of Medicine Library include

    Google Scholar 

  • Bliss M. William Osler: a life in medicine. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryan CS. What is the oslerian tradition. Ann Intern Med. 1994;1(20):8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cushing H. The life of Sir William Osler. Oxford: Clarendon; 1925.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osler SW. Aphorisms from his bedside teachings and writings. 2nd ed. Springfield, IL: Thomas Publishers; 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osler W. The Quotable Osler  –  Revised Paperback Edition [Kindle Edition], Mark E. Silverman (Author, Editor), Charles S. Bryan (Author, Editor), T. Jock Murray (Editor) File Size: 1048 KB, Print Length: 318 pages Publisher: American College of Physicians (September 1, 2007) Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

    Google Scholar 

  • Osler W. Obituaries: Sir William Osler. Br Med J. 1920;1:30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan CS. Osler inspirations from a great physician. New York: Oxford University Press; 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Additional WWW sites with material by or about Sir William Osler, as suggested by The Osler Library of the History of Medicine are

    Google Scholar 

Ask Osleriana—A Searchable Database of Osler Essays

  • Celebrating the contributions of William Osler, 1849–1919, an online collection of photographs, writings and letters of Sir William Osler created by the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution (JHMI)

    Google Scholar 

  • Visitors to Baltimore should visit the Welch Library at JHMI and view the large painting of “The Four Greats” hanging in the second floor reading room, depicting the images of Osler, Halstead, Welch and Kelly. Across the street from this library, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, you may also make a reservation to view the Osler room, where he wrote The principles and practice of medicine and which houses memorabilia that may interest those interested in the life of Sir William Osler

    Google Scholar 

  • The American Osler Society was founded for the purpose of bringing together members of the medical and allied professions who are, by their common inspiration, dedicated to memorialize and perpetuate the just and charitable life, the intellectual resourcefulness, and the ethical example of Sir William Osler (1849–1919).http://www.americanosler.org/

Schweitzer

  • Schweitzer A. Out of my life and thought: an autobiography. New York/Baltimore, MD: Henry Holte and Co./Johns Hopkins University Press; 1998. Trans. Antje Bultmann Lemke.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweitzer A. Essential writings. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books; 2005. Sel. James Brazabon.

    Google Scholar 

The Albert Schweitzer Institute

  • The Albert Schweitzer Institute of Chapman University is dedicated to the task of preserving, critically interpreting, and disseminating the ethical teachings of Albert Schweitzer within the context of the study of ethics and ethical values. The Institute sponsors a university course on the life and thought of Albert Schweitzer, maintains an Albert Schweitzer Exhibit on the campus of Chapman University, offers the Albert Schweitzer Award of Excellence and Schweitzer scholarships, and participates in academic programs on the legacy of Albert Schweitzer. Their website has useful and interesting information for those wanting to learn more about the life of Albert Schweitzer, and can be accessed at www.chapman.edu/SchweitzerInstitute

  • Another university-based website that is useful to learn more about the life of Albert Schweitzer is housed at Quinnipiac University and is accessible by visiting www.quinnipiac.edu

  • Albert Schweitzer Nobel prize acceptance speech, “The Problem with Peace” can be read in its entirety by visiting http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1952/schweitzer-lecture.html

  • The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship sends third-year medical students to spend 3 months working as Fellows at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon, on clinical rotations. The mission of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship is to develop “leaders in service.” These are individuals who are dedicated and skilled in addressing the health needs of underserved communities and whose example influences and inspires others. More information can be obtained at http://www.Schweitzerfellowship.org

  • Schweitzer A. On the edge of the primeval forest (Zwischen Wasser und Urwald). London/New York: A. & C. Black/Holt Rinehart and Winston; 1958. Trans. C.T. Campion.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweitzer A. My life and thought. London/New York: George Allen and Unwin/Henry Holt; 1993/1948. Trans. C.T. Campion.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Richard Colgan

Authors
  1. Richard Colgan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Colgan, R. (2013). The Twentieth Century. In: Advice to the Healer. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5170-9_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5170-9_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5169-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5170-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation