On the Problem of Medern Medicine : From the Viewpoint of a Cardiac Surgeon

Abstract

From ancient times, medical care was only symptomatic therapy. The postmortem dissection of the human body had been inhibited as an immoral action for a long period. Even Hippocrates, who opposed the scientific method on the observation and the treatment of the patients, made some errors in his medical hypothesis because of lack of knowledge about the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Since the Renaissance, the advancement of medicine was remarkable according to the discoveries and progress of natural sciences. As an example, the postmortem dissection of the human body was allowed and revealed the structure and functional mechanism of human beings. It brought a lot of knowledge concerning the cause of the diseases. Subsequently radical therapy and preventive procedure for many diseases were established during recent two centuries. According to the recent remarkable progress of chemistry and physics, diagnostic tools became more accurate and easy to use. Even the heart can be transplanted from a case of brain death, into a patient whose heart is severely ill, if the social conditions allow. However, these striking advances of medical procedures sometimes lead the patients to a mentally confused condition, such as the rejective mental reaction against the pure scientific and too unemotional behavior of medical staff. In order to prevent these unfavorable mental reactions of patients, all medical and associated staff should realize the importance of the mental care of patients.