box 38/1
2. Cuttings
824
HE NEW YORK MEDICAL WEEK
Fads in Advertising
Publicity, like everything else, has its
planted by the Siamese variety. At the
present time blowing breath into blue
fashions. When Lindbergh completed
babies is the road to fame for doctors
his epic flight anything aerial was news
with tabloid aspirations. Every few days
for a period. Storms at sca were re¬
an account appears of some modern Aes¬
corded in detail for at least two wecks
culapius who rediscovers this ancient
following the Vestris disaster. In the in¬
feat in time to be photographed by an
tervals between sensational happenings
inquiring reporter.
such as these medicine can usually be
In a sense, the lowly practitioner who
relied upon to yield some topic for ex¬
stoops to this sort of publicity cannot be
cited comment. Here, too, the choice of
blamed when men who are hailed as lead¬
subject is determined by a current fad.
ers of the profession court the public eye
For a while the newspapers were full
with equal lack of taste. Journalistic
of newly born Mongolian idiots who
divertissements of this type add nothine
thrived on thyroid. Caesarian twins held to the glory of medicine or the prestigen
theahnselight for a while, ouly to be sup- of its practitioners.
SPECIAL ARTICLE
DRAMATIST AND PHYSICIAN
JULIAN FUNT
ences of people of all classes, and he cannot afford
In the plays and novels of Arthur Schnitzler,
to remain aloof or disinterested if he is to achieve
the Austrian dramatist and physician, there is a
the artistry he secks. In 1895 he completed, with
reflection of the complicated social mechanism of
his father, a work called Clinical Atlas of Laryn¬
present-day Austria seen through the eyes of an¬
other scientist-artist who never loses his sense of
gology and Rhinology.
It has been said of Schnitzler in deprecating
proportion. Schnitzler has captured, in his deft
fashion that his eynicism is offensive. But, as
and delicately chiselled craftsmanship, the elusive
some of his commentators have pointed out,
spirit of Vienna. Bringing to his work at once
an introspection and a detachment, we find in bis
Schnitzler is not fundamentally suspiclous of the
validity of human nature, he is rather possessed
stories the presence of a convincing passion and
of a perception of the weakness of the human
terror; but there is also delicaev, a refinement of
overtones, a charm and grace built upon a founda¬
mind to which the physician in the author cannot
close his eyes. He is never the superficial scoffer.
tion, not of sentiment, but of sophistication.
Equipped with a versatile mental pathology and
The eminent Austrian playwright’s father was
a psychological insight, he takes his place along
a throat specialist with an unusual record of
with Thomas Mann as one of the literary masters
scientific achievement. Johan Schnitzler had the
of the times. Drieser attempts to work with the
courage to make steadfast friends and vindictive
same material, but the finished artistry and pene¬
enemies. Inheriting his father’s inclination to¬
tration of Schnitzler makes the clumsy, lumbering
wards medicine, young Artbur studied at Vienna
Drieser pale by comparison.
University receiving his degree in medieine in
There are times when Schnitzler the insouciant,
1885. He was an interne for two years and has
the witty, the felicitous, wades through the morass
been practicing ever since. This is all the more
of chaotie existences to emerge time and again
unusual when we remember that Schnitzler's
with some deathless characterization, some pro¬“
writings have been more voluminous than many
found situation which reaches the highest levelg
a writer who has devoted himself entirely to beiles
of a precious and human art. In the Helnmate
lettres. The fecundity of his literary output de¬
we have a drama of disillusionment-whter 18 Bürie“
spite the demands of an extremely busy practice
upon a network of new moral values. When Rob¬
sheds additional light on the character of the
ert Pilgram discovers that his assistant, Hausmann,
creator of Anatol.
has been untrue with Pilgram's wife, and vet
His literary talent is not the recondite, detached
engaged to another woman, we have a passage
talent of a James Stephens or a William Butler
which is typical of Schnitzler at his best:
Teats. Though he works with the medium of ro¬
“I would have raised von from the
mantic impressionism, he needs human contacts
to bring the fibre of reality to his work. In the
ground if von had been broken by grief.
light of this, we can understand his contributions
1 would have gone with von to her grave—
to medical journals on psychotherapentic subjects.
if the woman who is lying over there had
been your lover; but you have turned her
He draws his rich material from human experi¬
2. Cuttings
824
HE NEW YORK MEDICAL WEEK
Fads in Advertising
Publicity, like everything else, has its
planted by the Siamese variety. At the
present time blowing breath into blue
fashions. When Lindbergh completed
babies is the road to fame for doctors
his epic flight anything aerial was news
with tabloid aspirations. Every few days
for a period. Storms at sca were re¬
an account appears of some modern Aes¬
corded in detail for at least two wecks
culapius who rediscovers this ancient
following the Vestris disaster. In the in¬
feat in time to be photographed by an
tervals between sensational happenings
inquiring reporter.
such as these medicine can usually be
In a sense, the lowly practitioner who
relied upon to yield some topic for ex¬
stoops to this sort of publicity cannot be
cited comment. Here, too, the choice of
blamed when men who are hailed as lead¬
subject is determined by a current fad.
ers of the profession court the public eye
For a while the newspapers were full
with equal lack of taste. Journalistic
of newly born Mongolian idiots who
divertissements of this type add nothine
thrived on thyroid. Caesarian twins held to the glory of medicine or the prestigen
theahnselight for a while, ouly to be sup- of its practitioners.
SPECIAL ARTICLE
DRAMATIST AND PHYSICIAN
JULIAN FUNT
ences of people of all classes, and he cannot afford
In the plays and novels of Arthur Schnitzler,
to remain aloof or disinterested if he is to achieve
the Austrian dramatist and physician, there is a
the artistry he secks. In 1895 he completed, with
reflection of the complicated social mechanism of
his father, a work called Clinical Atlas of Laryn¬
present-day Austria seen through the eyes of an¬
other scientist-artist who never loses his sense of
gology and Rhinology.
It has been said of Schnitzler in deprecating
proportion. Schnitzler has captured, in his deft
fashion that his eynicism is offensive. But, as
and delicately chiselled craftsmanship, the elusive
some of his commentators have pointed out,
spirit of Vienna. Bringing to his work at once
an introspection and a detachment, we find in bis
Schnitzler is not fundamentally suspiclous of the
validity of human nature, he is rather possessed
stories the presence of a convincing passion and
of a perception of the weakness of the human
terror; but there is also delicaev, a refinement of
overtones, a charm and grace built upon a founda¬
mind to which the physician in the author cannot
close his eyes. He is never the superficial scoffer.
tion, not of sentiment, but of sophistication.
Equipped with a versatile mental pathology and
The eminent Austrian playwright’s father was
a psychological insight, he takes his place along
a throat specialist with an unusual record of
with Thomas Mann as one of the literary masters
scientific achievement. Johan Schnitzler had the
of the times. Drieser attempts to work with the
courage to make steadfast friends and vindictive
same material, but the finished artistry and pene¬
enemies. Inheriting his father’s inclination to¬
tration of Schnitzler makes the clumsy, lumbering
wards medicine, young Artbur studied at Vienna
Drieser pale by comparison.
University receiving his degree in medieine in
There are times when Schnitzler the insouciant,
1885. He was an interne for two years and has
the witty, the felicitous, wades through the morass
been practicing ever since. This is all the more
of chaotie existences to emerge time and again
unusual when we remember that Schnitzler's
with some deathless characterization, some pro¬“
writings have been more voluminous than many
found situation which reaches the highest levelg
a writer who has devoted himself entirely to beiles
of a precious and human art. In the Helnmate
lettres. The fecundity of his literary output de¬
we have a drama of disillusionment-whter 18 Bürie“
spite the demands of an extremely busy practice
upon a network of new moral values. When Rob¬
sheds additional light on the character of the
ert Pilgram discovers that his assistant, Hausmann,
creator of Anatol.
has been untrue with Pilgram's wife, and vet
His literary talent is not the recondite, detached
engaged to another woman, we have a passage
talent of a James Stephens or a William Butler
which is typical of Schnitzler at his best:
Teats. Though he works with the medium of ro¬
“I would have raised von from the
mantic impressionism, he needs human contacts
to bring the fibre of reality to his work. In the
ground if von had been broken by grief.
light of this, we can understand his contributions
1 would have gone with von to her grave—
to medical journals on psychotherapentic subjects.
if the woman who is lying over there had
been your lover; but you have turned her
He draws his rich material from human experi¬