Cosimah2o
Active Member
Andrzej Szczeklik is a Polish physician, professor and chairman of the Department of Medicine, Jagiellonian University School of Medicine ( Collegium Medicum ) in Kraków.
Szczeklik published two largely successful and very well received books: "Catharsis" and "Kore". Besides, he is an author and co-author of about 600 papers published in the leading biomedical.
Catharsis' book, Dr.Szczeklik reflects on ancient medicine, on language and science, on magic and art and myth; he finds intriguing connections – historical, mythical, scientific and philosophical – between these things and the practice of medicine. The book is divided into twelve chapters.
- Chapter called Threads, it explores the idea of medicine as a way of discovering the relations and connections between things; it insists on the importance of “Anamnesis” – the first conversation between doctor and patient, to learn the latter's history. The idea is taken from the Platonic idea of anamnesis, where it meant the knowledge we have before perception.
- Chapter called Between Science and Art, It begins by discussing the history of anatomy, Galen and his enthusiasm for dissection, the development of pathology and of vivisectio. Reflects on the implications of Rembrandt's anatomy lesson, charts the history of dissection theatres from their beginnings and wonders about the extent to which dissection, and anatomy in general, makes medicine into a science.
- My favourite Chapter called Purifying Power
, is about how doctors work, what they do and how they cure. For centuries there were good grounds for the persistently popular saying that the difference between a good doctor and a bad one is enormous, but between a good doctor and none there is no difference at all.
Szczeklik then turns to Hippocrates' notion of the physician as a producer of catharsis, that is, a practitioner who knows how to use the healing power of nature and can use it “harmony” to the body. Besides, he analyses the concept of catharsis from Aristotle, it means purifying the body of emotions, getting rid of emotion, or purifying the emotions themselves.
He also reflects upon Fermat's last theorem, so long unproved, on Gödel's incompleteness theorem (which says that in every system there must be some things which cannot be proved) and on incomplete systems in general. He then turns to music and its cathartic power, and reflects on many benefits of music as therapy – again, a type of therapy that goes back to ancient Greece. He mentions Pythagoras's discovery of the mathematical nature of musical intervals and wonders to what extent the way we hear music is innate to the human mind.
- Chapter called Suffering, it begins with the remark that we have entered the era of post-genomic medicine. Szczeklik considers that gene therapy cure all ills and allow us to forget entirely about sickness and suffering. He traces the history of the first analgesics, salicilates and opiates, remarking along the way that opium was already being used as an analgesic by the Sumarians. He goes into some detail about the history of aspirin and shows how far back its use went: a papyrus from almost four thousand years ago. He then traces the history of general anaesthesia and mentions unusual problems connected with pain, such as phantom pains and the inability to feel pain. He ends with a brief discussion of euthanasia.
- Chapter called After the Genome. It begins with the story of the discovery of DNA, the decoding, in 2000, of the the complete DNA of the fruit fly, and in 2001 the decoding of human DNA. Szczeklik explains the concept of polymorphism in gene research and this naturally leads Szczeklik to talk of cloning and its beginnings in embryology, of the pros and cons of therapeutic cloning.
This book sheds great light on medic diagnosis from myth and ancient literature until nowadays. There are many nuances in medical or general information and besides, Dr Szczeklik talks about his own clinical cases. I have to say, I had already read books about the history of medicine and pharmacy, my father has a great collection as physician and pharmacist, so Andrej Szczeklik' book is a great guide for those who wants to explore the nature of medicine.
Szczeklik published two largely successful and very well received books: "Catharsis" and "Kore". Besides, he is an author and co-author of about 600 papers published in the leading biomedical.
Catharsis' book, Dr.Szczeklik reflects on ancient medicine, on language and science, on magic and art and myth; he finds intriguing connections – historical, mythical, scientific and philosophical – between these things and the practice of medicine. The book is divided into twelve chapters.
- Chapter called Threads, it explores the idea of medicine as a way of discovering the relations and connections between things; it insists on the importance of “Anamnesis” – the first conversation between doctor and patient, to learn the latter's history. The idea is taken from the Platonic idea of anamnesis, where it meant the knowledge we have before perception.
- Chapter called Between Science and Art, It begins by discussing the history of anatomy, Galen and his enthusiasm for dissection, the development of pathology and of vivisectio. Reflects on the implications of Rembrandt's anatomy lesson, charts the history of dissection theatres from their beginnings and wonders about the extent to which dissection, and anatomy in general, makes medicine into a science.
- My favourite Chapter called Purifying Power
, is about how doctors work, what they do and how they cure. For centuries there were good grounds for the persistently popular saying that the difference between a good doctor and a bad one is enormous, but between a good doctor and none there is no difference at all. Szczeklik then turns to Hippocrates' notion of the physician as a producer of catharsis, that is, a practitioner who knows how to use the healing power of nature and can use it “harmony” to the body. Besides, he analyses the concept of catharsis from Aristotle, it means purifying the body of emotions, getting rid of emotion, or purifying the emotions themselves.
He also reflects upon Fermat's last theorem, so long unproved, on Gödel's incompleteness theorem (which says that in every system there must be some things which cannot be proved) and on incomplete systems in general. He then turns to music and its cathartic power, and reflects on many benefits of music as therapy – again, a type of therapy that goes back to ancient Greece. He mentions Pythagoras's discovery of the mathematical nature of musical intervals and wonders to what extent the way we hear music is innate to the human mind.
- Chapter called Suffering, it begins with the remark that we have entered the era of post-genomic medicine. Szczeklik considers that gene therapy cure all ills and allow us to forget entirely about sickness and suffering. He traces the history of the first analgesics, salicilates and opiates, remarking along the way that opium was already being used as an analgesic by the Sumarians. He goes into some detail about the history of aspirin and shows how far back its use went: a papyrus from almost four thousand years ago. He then traces the history of general anaesthesia and mentions unusual problems connected with pain, such as phantom pains and the inability to feel pain. He ends with a brief discussion of euthanasia.
- Chapter called After the Genome. It begins with the story of the discovery of DNA, the decoding, in 2000, of the the complete DNA of the fruit fly, and in 2001 the decoding of human DNA. Szczeklik explains the concept of polymorphism in gene research and this naturally leads Szczeklik to talk of cloning and its beginnings in embryology, of the pros and cons of therapeutic cloning.
This book sheds great light on medic diagnosis from myth and ancient literature until nowadays. There are many nuances in medical or general information and besides, Dr Szczeklik talks about his own clinical cases. I have to say, I had already read books about the history of medicine and pharmacy, my father has a great collection as physician and pharmacist, so Andrej Szczeklik' book is a great guide for those who wants to explore the nature of medicine.
As a whole, the value of this book must not be overlooked. Recommended. 