Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Haitian National University School of Medicine

  • A rare case report: Near amputation of a leg from a falling book

    Avi OhryTel Aviv, Israel Traumatic injuries are common, resulting from war, natural disasters, workplace mishaps, accidents, or sports. But severe bodily damage occurring in a library? In 1359, the famous Italian poet, humanist, and philosopher from Arezzo, Francesco Petrarch (1304–1374), was reading a book in his… Read more

  • Edvard Munch: Medical portraits

    Sally MetzlerChicago, Illinois, United States The name Edvard Munch usually recalls his masterful painting titled The Scream (fig. 1). This iconic image from 1893 depicts a moody landscape inhabited by a ghostlike, androgynous, wispy figure, facing if not confronting the viewer. Elongated hands frame the… Read more

  • David Paton, the flying eye surgeon

    Dr. David Paton, who died April 3, 2025 at age 93, is remembered for his efforts to make modern eye care and technology available worldwide. Born in Baltimore on August 16, 1930, he spent much of his childhood in New York City, where his father… Read more

  • Chicago medicine, then and now

    In the mid-19th century, Chicago was a city battling for survival against serious public health threats. Poor sanitation and contaminated water sources fueled devastating outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and smallpox. Mortality rates were high. Early healthcare was rudimentary; formal medical training was not always required; and… Read more

  • Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine

    The Ayurveda is the world’s oldest healing systems in the world.. Its name comes from the Sanskrit “Ayur,” meaning life, and “Veda,” meaning knowledge. Emerging from the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2600–1900 BCE) and attaining its most developed form in the first millennium BCE, it… Read more

  • Ancient Chinese medicine

    Chinese medicine represents one of the oldest systems in history. It views the human body as an integrated whole where physical health affects mental wellbeing while requiring environmental balance. The core principle of Chinese medicine includes the vital energy called qi (pronounced “chee”) which flows… Read more

  • The bridge on the Drina: A literary and historical monument

    Ivo Andrić’s The Bridge on the Drina (originally Na Drini ćuprija), published in 1945, is a monumental novel that spans over four centuries of Balkan history, using the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad as both a literal and symbolic centerpiece. Awarded the Nobel Prize… Read more

  • Plato’s thoughts on illness, medicine, and doctors

    In Plato’s philosophical works, particularly in The Republic and Timaeus, we find significant reflections on illness, medicine, and the role of doctors in society. These reflections reveal Plato’s holistic understanding of health as harmony and his views on the proper practice of medicine. For Plato,… Read more

  • The novels of Karl May: Myth, adventure, and cultural impact

    Karl May (1842–1912) remains one of the most popular and widely read authors in the German-speaking world, renowned for his prolific output of adventure novels that captivated generations of readers. Although his name is less familiar outside of Europe, his imaginative works—particularly those set in… Read more

  • Medical aspects of the Mystery of Edwin Drood

    Charles Dickens’ last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, remains forever unfinished due to the author’s death in 1870, leaving readers with an enduring literary puzzle. While primarily a mystery narrative, the novel contains several fascinating medical elements that provide insight into both Victorian medicine… Read more

  • Le Cid by Pierre Corneille

    Le Cid is a five-act French play written by Pierre Corneille, first performed in December 1636 in Paris. It is based on Guillén de Castro’s Las Mocedades del Cid, which itself draws from the legend of El Cid, a Spanish national hero. Pierre Corneille, born… Read more

  • Akshamsaddin from a medical point of view                

    The Ottoman scholar Akshamsaddin (Muhammad Shams al-Din bin Hamzah, 1389–1459) is remembered more often as the mentor and advisor to Sultan Mehmed II rather than as a physician who contributed remarkably to the medical knowledge of his time. Born in Damascus, he acquired in his… Read more