Doctors: The History of Scientific Medicine Revealed Through Biography

by Sherwin B. Nuland

Discover medical science's extraordinary journey from a time when even the slightest cut held the threat of infection and death to today's era of routine organ transplants and daily headlines about the mysteries of DNA and the human genome. What major discoveries made this transition possible? Who were the fascinating individuals responsible for those discoveries, and what qualities prepared each of them for their unique roles in medical history? These 12 compelling lectures draw on the lives of medicine's greatest contributors to tell the human story behind the development of Western scientific medicine. Professor Nuland reveals the human side of science - a story about strivings, disappointments, triumphs of human genius, and even greed. This course is a must-have for anyone interested in the fascinating story of medicine's evolution-and the brilliant men and women who made this journey possible. Topics include the rise of universities and how they influenced medical education; the appearance of scientific method and what we call "inductive reasoning"; the influence of individual personality on achievement along with the accompanying influence of national character and culture; the role of the church; and the part played by each discoverer's psychological makeup. Please note: This course contains some discussion about certain historical medical practices and experiments that, while common in their time, may seem barbaric and unusual to us today. The professor does not necessarily describe them in graphic detail, but due to the subject matter of this course, some descriptions of these practices do arise. This should be noted before selecting this course for a young or sensitive individual.

Genres: Medicine, Science, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Biography, Medical

Audio CD

Published January 1, 2005

About the author

Sherwin Nuland was an American surgeon and author who taught bioethics and medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine. He was the author of The New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winning How We Die, and has also written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Republic, Time, and the New York Review of Books.

His NYTimes obit: http://nyti.ms/1kxNtQC

Reviews

[Irena Pasvinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best Great Courses lectures ever in my experience, and I even wasn't especially interested in the subject when I picked up this course -- I just wanted a short (6 hours) and relatively easy listen, but I've got so much more. Professor Nuland is an outstanding lecturer -- in his delivery the history of scientific medicine becomes a fascinating topic. One could write 12 breathtaking historical novels based on each of the 12 lectures in this course (the dramatic battle for the credit of inventing the anesthesia especially cries for a bestseller or a blockbuster).

Also, the lectures left me with a renewed appreciation of modern medicine (it's worth remembering that just 150-170 years ago medicine wasn't far removed from butchery and sorcery, and it would have stayed the same without rigorous development and application of science).

I will be sure to read other books by Sherwin B. Nuland now.

[Carol Bakker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging listen. Twelve lectures about twelve doctors who changed history: Hippocrates, Galen, Vesalius, Harvey, Morgagni, Hunter, Laennec, Morton, Virchow, Lister, Halsted, and Taussig.

Dr. Nuland, an able guide, is a surgeon and a medical historian. He includes the background and personality of the doctor, the conflicts in their lives, and how their discoveries and developments make a different today.

[Visnja Zeljeznjak · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a captivating read! What the "Cosmos" series does for astronomy, this book does for scientific medicine. The book tells the story of the advancement of medical science, starting with Hippocrates in 4th century B.C. and ending with open heart surgery in the 20th century. It highlights 12 people, 12 doctors whose work advanced medicine more than anyone has ever done. It reminds the reader of the horrid conditions under which surgeries were performed before we discovered anesthesia and the germ theory of disease in the 19-20th century. You will be astounded to realize just how much medicine has progressed since the turn of the 20th century.

For me, this book is yet another testament to the significance and the power of the scientific method, the most important tool of progress we have today. The scientific method creates a safe playground for questioning authorities and healthy skepticism. I found especially compelling the story of Andreas Vesalius, the father of modern human anatomy, who was the first man in 1400 years who dared to publicly question Galen's authority. Unlike Galen, who lived in 2nd century A.D. and who was full of himself, Vesalius invited his students not to trust anyone's authority, not even his own, and to learn about human bodies by experimenting on human cadavers. It's easy to forget that experimentation and the scientific method were actively being rejected not too long ago.

Wonderful, wonderful book, made even better by the audio narration by the author himself.

[Slux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me interested all the way through. A collection of fascinating biographies that really make you appreciate how much medicine has progressed and how critical the role of the introduction of the scientific approach has been in getting us anywhere in this and many other endeavors. Unfortunately even now there's still quite a bit of the kind of thinking around that led to treatments like bloodletting catching on in the times before science started to take hold (and indeed even that practice persists to this day in some degree).

It's not entirely Nuland's fault but I want to note the story about John Hunter infecting himself with Syphilis on purpose in order to study it are just that and not based on real historical events, Nuland probably got it from another medical historian named d'Arcy Power who seems to have come up with the idea without much real evidence for it. I assume there's probably some other inaccuracies as well but then most of these people lived hundreds of years ago so it's not all that surprising.

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable! I've always been interested in the history of medicine but it was never covered by my school's curriculum. Truly makes you appreciate what we have now in medicine. How not long ago everything was different... More dangerous. I am wondering now how medicine will change in the future.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th time I have listened to this course and it is as good this time as the first time I listened to it. It is an excellent brief history of medicine, highlighting many of the great names I had heard of but also several I had not.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intellectual doctor porn. Well delivered interesting lectures.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very worthwhile overview of western medical accomplishments. Rather frightening to realize that medical progress is usually made by intelligent people standing against the majority.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the history of medicine through biography, a series of lectures in tbe Great Courses series.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this more than 10 years ago - loved it

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative. I learned a lot.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2005 The Teaching Company released Yale School of Medicine M.D. Professor Sherwin Nuland’s lecture transcripts and course guide book “Doctors: the History of Scientific Medicine Revealed Through Biography.” The 235 page text include guides, transcripts, and timelines from Hippocrates in 450 BC, into the Middle Ages, early 1900, and through the 1940s. The text also includes a wonderful glossary of terms, biographical notes, and supplemental references. The course has lectures that cover the anatomy of diseases, technologies such as stethoscopes and X-ray, germ theory, cardiovascular surgery, anesthesia, and American as well European education advancements. The materials and presentations are amazing and exceptionally well done. (P)

[Keyser Söze · Rating 5 out of 5]

The course takes us from the early days of Hippocratic humors, the later authority-driven medicine of Galen right to the modern evidence-based medicine approach.
What i really liked about the content is that once you see these discoveries and paradigm changes through the lens of biography you start realizing that these were humans with human flaws (pride, arrogance and even addiction) that managed nevertheless to make extraordinary discoveries and improve the lives of millions.
Knowing the historical setting is also very helpful in understanding the environment in which each discovery appeared and how science in general and medicine in particular always improves incrementally based on previous discoveries (e.g.there would be no surgery without antisepsis, and there would be no antisepsis without the germ theory of disease).

[Benjamin Uke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this and read through it cover to cover. It was amazing!

It is a microcosm of the progress of scientific advancement from the superstition of the old Greek philosophers, all the day to modern medical discoveries. It you are at all interested in medicine, this is the series for you.

(On a side note: Holy shit John Hunter, you complete and utter maniac.)

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look into twelve doctors, their contributions to medicine, and the effects of those contributions to medicine as a whole.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tidbits but not enthralling overall