Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: goiters

  • Theodor Kocher (1841–1917)

    Theodor Kocher was the first surgeon to ever receive the Nobel Prize. He was born in 1841 in Bern, Switzerland, went to school there, and was first in his class. He studied medicine in Bern and graduated summa cum laude, then went on to further his education in Zürich, Berlin, London, and Paris. At the…

  • Unlocking the secrets of a bohemian painting

    Bernard BrabinLiverpool, England The image By an unknown artist, the Deštná painting in the National Gallery, Prague, depicts Madonna and Infant from a fifteenth century perspective. The Madonna’s attention is directed to the child, within a space surrounded by ellipses, human figures, and two angels processing petitions. Orthogonal lines connect the gaze of these peripheral…

  • Francisco Goya’s “black period”

    Alejandro GoyriCarlos Valverde-RMéxico City, México In his so-called “black period,” Francisco Goya created a series of oil paintings, engravings, and drawings that depict witches and mentally or physically disabled individuals. This is particularly clear in the “Witches’ Sabbath” (1819-1823), in which the facial expression of most of the characters (especially of the young seated woman…