Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Umut Akova

  • Marfan syndrome and Abraham Lincoln

    Umut Akova Atlanta, Georgia, United States   The earliest presidential portrait of Lincoln. Salt print, 1787. Via Wikimedia. Marfan syndrome is a rare, inherited genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissues. People with Marfan syndrome often have distinctive physical features such as tall stature, long limbs, joint hypermobility, and a narrow face. The condition is…

  • The death of Socrates and common hemlock

    Umut Akova Ankara, Turkey   Figure 1. Death of Socrates. Jacques-Louis David, oil on canvas, 1787. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Via Wikimedia. Public domain  Socrates (469–399 BC) was the ancient Greek philosopher most often credited with pioneering Western philosophy and with founding the Socratic method, a dialectical approach to questioning and critical thinking. Known for his…