The Patient and His Doctor

1THIS subject is one wlhich is always of interest to those engaged in the Art of Healing, and has been so all down the ages. It is interesting to try and trace the origin of the differences in this relationship, its evolution and change in different parts of the world, in different periods of time. It is probably true to state that it is possible to find all the different stages and variations of this relationship, as traced down the ages, represented in various parts of our contemporary world, where every stage from the most primitive aboriginal tribal medicinal methods, to the most modern and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic methods carried out in palaces of healing, can be discovered with comparative ease in our rapidly-shrinkng globe. It is perhaps better and more satisfying to try anid prohe back as far as possible into time andl find out what we can, the great difficulty being that one reaches a stage where historical evidence leaves the realms of fact and wanders off into inythology, and, while the tales of mythology are very interesting, they are somewhat liable to suffer by repetition in their transmission through the ages. Where, however, we have something like fact, one finds that the order and dating. of these facts permits one to place them better in relationship to each other, and to assess their influence one upon another, and so trace the evolution of a relationship such as this down the corridor of time. In the most primitive communities there usually was some individual who stood out, perhaps because of his intelligence and interest in matters medical and magical, and his influence grew both as regards the everyday life and health of the people: he guided the tribe by superior wisdom and experience, and endeavoured to raise his status by differences in dress and behaviour, and perhaps by holding himself aloof. Here we observe the evolution of the medicine man or witch-doctor, who, with his incantations, spells, amulets, and charms, used these, combined with carefully-concealed knowledge handed down as f.olklore from his predecessors, to impress the more simple members of his tribe, and it is easy to see the gradual accession to power of these primitive priests, who gradually acquired both temporal and spiritual power over tribes and communities, and this priestly domination persists still in magical medicine as practised among primitive peoples. All down the ages …