Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Saint Sebastian

  • Washer of the dead

    Ruth DemingWillow Grove, Pennsylvania, United States Dead bodies were nothing new to Sarah Washington. As a registered nurse, she peacefully viewed the stunning poses of the dead at her first job, a suburban hospital that closed shortly after she was hired. God had chosen her, she was assured, as she closed the eyes of an…

  • Saint Sebastian nursed by Saint Irene

    Sally MetzlerChicago, Illinois, United States She wears neither latex gloves nor mask, yet Saint Irene performs surgery of the most epic kind, shown here pulling a deadly arrow from the thigh of Saint Sebastian. He was a Roman soldier who incurred the wrath of Emperor Diocletian for protecting Christian martyrs. She, the surgeon-nurse, was a…