On the Shoulders of Medicine's Giants

Medical history offers us many wise thoughts, a few misguided notions, and a host of intriguing back-stories. On the Shoulders of Medicine’s Giants presents a selection of these, and tells how the words of medicine’s “giants”—such as Hippocrates, Sir William Osler, Francis Weld Peabody, and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross—are relevant to medical science and practice in the 21^st century.

Which physician was the inspiration for the fictional character Sherlock Holmes, and what did he identify as "the real essential factor in all successful medical diagnosis"? What did Sigmund Freud describe as his “tyrant,” and what might this mean for doctors today? Do you know the attributed source of the well-known aphorism about horses and zebras, and what we believe this physician actually said? This book answers these questions and more, while also providing fascinating tales about each individual quoted.

On the Shoulders of Medicine’s Giants is recommended for practicing physicians, students, and residents, as well as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and anyone involved in patient care who wants to understand the historical and epistemological foundations of what we do each day in practice.

To see Dr. Taylor lecture on the history of medicine, go here: https://youtu.be/Zx4yaUyaPRA

• history of medicine, quotations, historical doctors

“Each chapter contains 10 to 12 essays that are only two pages in length and always accompanied by a handful of references that reflect the author’s narratives or the original sources of his quotes. … this is a book that should be read at various phases of one’s medical career–starting with medical school. … These essays will assume progressively greater relevance as one grows to appreciate those whose shoulders they have stood upon through a life in medicine.” (Jeffrey T. Kirchner, Family Medicine, Vol. 48 (4), April, 2016)

• Dept. Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Medicine, Portland, USA

  Robert B. Taylor

Policies and ethics