Homework # 22: Illness and Dying Book Part One

Précis

Paul Farmer grew up in a less than ideal childhood, ultimately influencing his great compassion for those less fortunate than even he.

Quotes

“Sorcery is, at bottom, the Haitians’ way of explaining suffering, but the allegations themselves can cause suffering,” (p. 27).

Haitians believe not only in traditional medicine but find substance in voodoo methods.

“Is there a more widespread notion than the one that rural people are laconic, and is there a rural place anywhere in the world whose people really are?” (p. 43).

           

People in rural settings enjoy socializing while the majority seems to believe they don’t.

“’Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing but medicine on a large scale,” (p. 61).

Our society evolves around the science of medicine.

“Patients, it seemed, formed not just a calendar of past events but a large mnemonic structure, in which individuals faces and small quirks – he’d remember, for instance, that a certain patient had a particular kind of stuffed animal in his hospital room – were like an index to the symptoms, the pathophysiology, the remedies for thousands of ailments,” (p. 113).

Farmer approaches medicine in a very personal way, getting to know his patients well.

Thoughts

            So far the book has been quite inspiring in terms of medicine. Paul Farmer, the doctor discussed, addresses the health needs of individuals in Haiti who cannot afford to pay for their medical services. He seems to do it for the patients, not for himself. A lot of doctors tend to shut themselves off from their patients, keep everything impersonal. Instead, Farmer gets to know his patients and understands their needs. Living in Haiti means he has to deal with a different political climate and cultural beliefs. Farmer takes these into account when he tries to go about healing the personal, and I think this seems to really make an impact not only on their health but also on their lives. The only thing is, that I believe he is generally a traditional doctor. In this book the accustomed medical procedures are used but in this case they seem quite effective. Holistic methods might not appear as reliable to the Haitians, they might see it as a thing that contradict their ideas of voodoo. Up till this point Farmer has appeared as a saint, somebody who is really dedicated to the health of others.