Medicine Flashcards
What distinction between doctors is put forward by Christopher Lawrence?
18th century distinction between those who sought the life and benefits of the gentry compared to those who sought the scientific and intellectual
Where were gentry doctors largely based?
In London, home to the Royal College of Physicians and much of the aristocracy and royalty
What did many leading doctors of the period stress?
Classical education over scientific education as they favoured class over scientific education
What attempts does S.E.D. Shortt reject?
“Revisionist” attempts to link early experimental science as an ideal, “real” science - rather, physicians sought to identify any connection with any sort of science to validate their work
What was the relationship between vocabulary and practice? (2 explanations)
Lawrence suggests that some physicians used scientific language to suggest science was the basis of medicine but applied it very little in clinical practice
Gentlemanly physicians also used scientific language to protect themselves from the new scientific doctors
Did doctors trust science?
No, there was widespread distrust in applied science and instead they favoured the rule-of-thumb method as i it demonstrated experience and only gentlemen were fully-equipped to be doctors
Complete the quote: “remarkable continuity…”
“in a rhetoric tradition” - against the background of changing infrastructure - Lawrence
What was the significance of the Medical Act of 1858?
Created a Medical Council to regulate doctors in the UK. Embodied a move towards professionalization but not culturally, as there remained tension between hospital consultants and general practitioners
Why were physicians threatened by scientific doctors?
Because if clinical medicine were made a science, it would dismantle the patronage and discipline on which it was based
Who were the “dirty minded BATS?”
Those in the Royal College of Surgeons who treated only royalty and the aristocracy. Extremely exclusive and snobby. They are demonstrative of the dominance of non-medical values
Was class important for patients too? (2 answers)
Yes:
- Those with higher status received treatment quicker than those of lower social standing. Those of lower classes often had to bribe their way in or face a long wait
- Patients chose their doctors based on class and social status rather than their medical qualifications
From the mid-century onward, what type of physicians emerged?
- Those who advocated the use of previously distrusted tools
- Those whose medical training was solely scientific
By 1900, most physicians did NOT…
… posses classical training. But nonetheless, gentlemanly values still persisted in some areas.
A classical education was still of value, but most tended to agree a scientific or a general education preceding medical training was now best
The 1880s saw the rise of what?
Experimental physiology but many still preferred social skills
Mid-century definition of scientific background:
Not experimental science but physiology or anatomy instead
What was the belief in the classical education based on?
Greek Theory: Art as practice, science as theory. Experience was the epitome of knowledge
How did England differ to the continent?
Continental science favoured the clinical science that so many rejected in England. Particularly in Germany. England was more theoretical
In what ways were English doctors narrow-minded for Lawrence?
“English antagonism to specialization”
Belief that “Gentleman did not specialize, for it prevented the breadth of vision”
What was a “quack”?
In the 19th century, it referred to specialist doctors with whom the gentry physician disagreed with and viewed as a competitor. A “quack” was a fanatic and the antithesis of a gentleman.
Why did “gentlemen” despise specialism so much?
Because it was “contrary to a generalist culture” and diseases were not believed to be localized in that way. The same attitude was applied to diagnostic technology
What diagnostic technology was accepted and why?
The stethoscope because it required an experienced auditor to operate
Why was diagnostic technology distrusted?
Because it could mislead and devalue clinical skill but they were bought to the bedside by the younger generation
What happened after WWII?
Specialization and clinical science flourished
When was the first use of radiology?
1895
