Similar to living organisms, medicine and the study of it have evolved- most notably
within the past two centuries. The study of medicine has developed into a complex,
multi-dimensional area so expansive that one oftentimes overlooks a facet- or several. Not
only that, but these facets differ across continents, countries, and social class, across time
and space. That was the most notable point of this piece to me, the point that medicine and
disease do not fit solely in that biological or physiological categories, but the social,
political and economic ones as well.
The complexity of medicine and its changing tasks can be viewed as a triangle, where each
vertex represents the patient, the physician and the policies. This allows for a more holistic
viewing of the field. Physicians and policies work together to protect the patient, not just
the patient themselves. Generally, in the nineteenth century, a physician was the only one
outside of the patient’s immediate family that had any say in the person’s treatment options
and health. Now, with everything becoming as interconnected as it has, the physician is not
the sole authoritarian figure.
One of the most notable parts of this piece was the comparison of today’s most prevalent
diseases compared to those of 200 years ago. Where illness-related deaths in the nineteenth
century were mainly caused by influenza, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, those of today are
caused by heart disease and various cancers. There is a very clear movement from the
pathological to the chronic, a clear sign of not only scientific advancements, but changing
