Something the Lord Made In the movie “Something the Lord Made”, Dr. Alfred Blalock, introduced open heart surgery for the cure of blue babies. These babies are cyanotic because of a heart that fails to function properly and prevents the baby’s blood from being fully oxygenated. The bluish color signifies the deoxygenated condition of the blood. In the other hand, red color signifies oxygen-rich blood. Blalock employed Vivien Thomas, initially as a janitor and then as a lab technician. Thomas amazing manual dexterity and scientific expertise shocked Blalock’s expectations, and Thomas quickly becomes essential as a medical research associate to Blalock in his audacious push into heart surgery. Blalock and his partner, Thomas took on the challenges of blue babies and originate bypass surgery. Their first patient was baby Eileen, after several trials on dogs. The movie traces the groundbreaking work the two men undertake when they move in 1941 from Vanderbilt to John Hopkins, an establishment where the only …show more content…
This consists of a defective septum between the ventricles and narrowing of the pulmonary artery resulting in cyanosis, also known as the blue baby syndrome. Thereby, in so doing they together pioneered the field of heart surgery. The movie expresses in an exaggerated way their race to rescue dying blue babies in opposition to the background of the racial segregation. Hence, they found a way to avoid a racist system and continue their medical research on infant heart surgery. Thomas acquired Blalock’s total esteem with Blalock admiring the effect of Thomas surgical talent as being “like something the Lord made”, and demanding that Thomas trains him throughout the first Blue Baby surgery over the protests of Hopkins
Skloot mentions several cases where doctors hurt people with their actions. One of which occurs during one conversation between Henrietta and Sadie; “Hennie” shows Sadie her stomach which is “burnt… black as tar.” Henrietta says the cancer feels like the blackness “be spreadin all inside” of her (48). To build factual evidence of the corruption, Skloot directly quotes Sadie in order to ensure the event really took place. She uses logic to connect the factual side effects of cancer treatment to the imagery of tar. She effectively communicates the terrible job the doctors do to treat Henrietta. The blackness of Henrietta’s skin represents the blackness in the medical system. Skloot knows that people want to get better, and if the medical system continues to stay flawed no one ever will. Another case in which doctors treated patients inhumanly involves Henrietta’s eldest daughter. Skloot writes, “Elsie Lacks [died from] respiratory failure, epilepsy, [and] cerebral palsy” (270). All of these ailments occurred in a supposed hospital, meant for the mentally disabled. Skloot uses facts to help the reader logically follow the horror story of the Lacks family. She spells out exactly what doctors put Elsie through and helps to illuminate the terrible state of the medical world at that time. She uses fact as undisputed tributes of knowledge to back her claims, and to make them appear undeniable. Skloot emphasizes the terrible failure of the
In examining and learning from her story through the lens of Doctoring, we can inform our own practice and However, many or most of the people involved in her story felt as though they committed no wrongdoing, and indeed likely felt good about providing care for a poor black woman. It is a little frightening to consider that we might one day do things as physicians that will be considered as wildly unethical in our practice as the actions of researchers and physicians that affected Henrietta and her family. It is certain that we will be affected by our biases, that we will fumble, and that we will make many mistakes as we try to find our footing as physicians. However, I would argue that the crucial first step lies in the words that Rebecca Skloot used to begin her retelling of Henrietta’s story.
Lax, Eric. "On the Medical Front; Bleeding Blue and Gray Civil War Surgery and the Evolution
“Hypoplastic left heart syndrome accounts for 9% of all critically ill newborns with congenital cardiac disease, causing the largest number of cardiac deaths in the first year of life.(2) ” HLHS is a severe heart defect that is present at birth. HLHS combines different defects that result in an underdeveloped left side of the heart. This syndrome is one of the most challenging and difficult to manage of all of the congenital heart defects. Multiple portions on the left side of the heart are affected including the left ventricle, the mitral and aortic valve, and the ascending aorta. These structures are greatly reduced in size, or completely nonexistent causing the functionality of the left heart to be reduced, or non-functional all together.
Mary had soon decided that she wanted to become a trained doctor after watching her father doctor the injured farmers. She had developed a desire for an unusual career for a mid-19th century American wo...
Many of the subject’s were twins, mostly identical. Twins when through the worst of the surgeries, including blood transfusions. Doctors drained one twin of his blood and inject it into the other twin to see what would happen. Blood would be drawn from each twin in large quantities about ten cubic centimeters were drawn daily. The twins who were very young suffered the worst of the blood drawing. They would be forced to have blood drawn from their necks a very painful method. Other methods included from their fingers for smaller amounts, and arms sometimes from both simultaneously. The doctors would sometimes see how much they could withdraw until the patient passed out or died.
For countless years there has always been an urgent need for doctors. Different methods would be used to cure people from their sicknesses. However, life is given by God and it is he who can take it away. Doctors play the role of saving lives, but in the end, they are powerless because nature has to take its course leaving humanity at its limits. In Vincent Lams novel “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures”, Lam challenges the myth that doctors are omnipotent by contending that “medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability”. Using Fitzgerald as a focal point, Lam debunks the myth that doctors are omnipotent through situations of medical failure, having a loss of power and control and by inhabiting deadly diseases. By showings his mistakes, Lam proves that Fitz is not perfect and God like.
Agatha Cobourg Hodgins was a true anesthesia pioneer. She was one of courage, intelligence and determination. She wouldn’t let anything stop her from carrying out her dreams.
About a year ago, while searching for a new book to read, I came across the book Complications at the library. Since I am considering becoming a physician, I picked it up and started reading. Needless to say, I couldn’t put it down. The way he explained his training as a surgeon and the moments he has experienced have intrigued me. In the little free time I had, I finished reading the three other books he has written. They
When it comes to educating children and parents about their child’s surgery or illness, it is important to remember the child’s age. A child and parent do not understand the same terms. For example, when referring to a stretcher a child may think it will stretch them out, a child life specialist may refer to a stretcher as a bed on wheels for children who may not understand this term. There are many child life specialists who go through every detail in an office with
“Something the Lord Made” offers a wonderful characterization. Dr. Blalock tries to do as much for Vivien as he can, including raising Vivian’s salary and insisting that Thomas assist him with the first Blue Baby surgery in defiance of custom and Jim Crow. He shows his unalloyed respect to Vivian, praising the results of Thomas' surgical skill as being "like something the Lord made". However, he never expresses his gratitude to Vivian in public nor offers financial support to Vivian. Most of the time, especially after the he managed to implement the very first heart surgery procedure in saving the "blue babies", he simply succumbed to passive racism for its political benefits. As Dr. Blalock says when Vivian comes back to work, “I’m still
of medicine. Born on the island of Kos, Greece in the year 460 b.c., says the
Edmonson, James M., and John H. Warner. Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880-1930. New York: Blast, 2009. Print.
Cohen, Jennie. "A Brief History of Bloodletting." History.com. 30 May 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
My older sister was diagnosed with Astrocytoma when I was 8 years old. Suddenly, my world consisted of frequent visits to St. Jude Research Hospital, 500 miles away from home. 8 years old; that is also how old I was when I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I witnessed my first “Code Blue” that same year. The code blue created a small panic in the hospital; the physicians rushed a small, fragile girl past me and my huge curiosity led me to rush right after them. I stood next to the little girl’s mom while she was frantically crying. While we watched the physicians attempt to save her life, I observed the physicians control the situation, and commit into to do everything in their power to save the little girl. It was in that moment, that I knew I wanted to become a physician.