The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-10-09


seums they have been able to save
a little Of the record of that old
life, although how much of the
cathedrals and public buildings
which most especially showed that
record will remain is a thought to
make the heart sick
Some of the best ideas of what
We know about the health and dis
ease conditions, the life Of the
physician. and Of the priest-physi-
clan of the middle ages has been
preserved in the stone carvings of
the Gothic cathedrals,
Art has often inspired medical
discovery and medical life has Of
ten insp.rcd art.
Anecdote of Charcot
We have the authentic anecdote
of Charcot, the great French neu-
rologlst, that he once saw a hu-
man face and head sculptured on
the pillar of a cathedral. 1t was
drawn IN a grotesque spasm, TO
one side. Charcot had never seen
any patient with such a condition,
but the artist had represented
what he saw so faithfully that
Charcot began TO note what mus
Giles were involved in the paraly-
sis and finally made notes for a
description of "glosso-labial hemi-
spasm.' Later on he found pa
tent with the exact similar con-
dltion, but until the patient turned
up he used to take his students to
the church to study the statue.
Ribera, the Spanish artist, hasa
famous painting in the Louvre. 1t
represents a smiling boy whose
appearance charms the spectator
at once. But when one examines
the feet closely, one sees that
there is a deformity, with only the
toes Of the right foot resting on
the ground. The arm is tucked in
under the armpit in a state of
paralysis, and to show how accu-
rate the artist was, the model had
evidently lost the power of speech,
because there is a note in his left
hand reading, Give me aims for
the love of God" Now neurolo-
gists have only within a short
time known that it is paralysis on
the right side that gives aphasia
and loss of speech.
RaphaeI's Picture Inaccurate
Medically
Not all artists were quite so sue
cessful in pleasing their medical
critics. There is a famous picture
Of Raphael's called the "Transhg-
uration," and he has represented h
young man in the foreground in
state of ecstasy, or beginning con
WILSON'S, but while it may impress
lay spectators, the position an
movements of the body have
brought many criticisms from
medical men, as they are replete
with contradictions. Thus Sir
Charles Bell, famous for his epo-~
nym on Bells facial paralysis, re
marked that Of the thousands o.
positions which may be assumed
during a convulsion, Raphse
chose the one which never occu1s
Bells facial paralysis has MAJ,
times been depicted from the time
of the Incas Of Peru on down.
Today we have developed
large group of artists who ~
nothing but medical illustrating.
They take a gruelling training in
anatomy TO fit themselves for this
work. And in many cases their
work is Of extreme beauty and
artistry.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
S. T. R..-What are the symp-
toms Of cancer of the stomach?
Answer: If you had cancer Of
the stomach you wouldn't be able
TO write a letter about it.
A. NJ. E.:-Does an anesthetic
affect the hair in any way? How
long after could one safely have
permanent?
Answer: No harm known to me.
You may nave a pprmanent lust