Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Cicely Saunders

  • St. Christopher’s Hospice

    Thomas EgnewWashington, United States The twentieth century produced an extraordinary evolution in modern medicine. Burgeoning research and the rigorous application of the biomedical model generated remarkable advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.1 Refinements in immunization decreased morbidity and mortality from common infectious diseases and the development of antibiotics provided the means to change…

  • The US hospice movement: Redressing modern medicine

    Emily BetheaChicago, Illinois, USA Unlike its modern concept, hospice began as “a house of rest and entertainment” not only “for pilgrims, travelers, or strangers” but also “for the destitute or sick.”1 Like the images conjured by these words, the first hospices are believed to have originated in the 11th century when the Crusaders permitted the…