Insecurity at the Sorbonne Medical School?

So here we were lurking around the Sorbonne Medical School taking photos, when a well-dressed older gentleman says to Kevin, "If you come with me and I'll show you around". Well, you can't pass up an opportunity like that. So off we go.  We make our introductions and our newly found guide is one Dr. Liberman, a retired English speaking GP and army reservist who is on his way to the library to read the British medical journal the Lancet. "Why are you doing that I ask".  "To keep up with what's going on" he replies. Of course! duh Larry.

We pass through the lobby and past the entrance to the Grand Amphitheater, which look more like a secret doorway into the 19th century from where there is no return. Who know what experiments they got up to in there!

Forward ho, past a few students sitting on austere wooden benches as they did a hundred years ago waiting for their results, girlfriends, strikes or probably just lunchtime.  One has to be amazed at all this really. A school  built in the 13th century and that has survived Catherine de Medici, the French Revolution, a few crazy kings, power hungry Cardinals, the German occupation and an over abundance of Lefties obviously has something powerfull holding it all that together.

Up the stairs and past a painting of Dr. Alfred Richet, Professor of Clinical Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, who Dr L. explains is caring for soldiers in the Comedie Francaise, which had been turned into a field emergency hospital during the Franco-Prussian war. I did a little research and found that his son  Dr Charles Richet  was an important researcher of the period and discovered a fascinating story about his life, which included discovering anaphalexis for which he recevied a Nobel Prize in 1913,  anti war activism, and writing and research in parapsychology - always one of my favorites.

We finally arrived at our destination.  The medical library. Normally, entrance is granted only to students and faculty, but Dr. L. waved his membership card like the sorcerer's apprentice and presto - we were in like Flint. We did have to agree to no photographing though. Such bores!!! We were in a huge 19th century room with books stacked from floor to ceiling as far as the eye could see and in the center between the rack of medical trivia and index cards were rows of computers. It was a bit surreal and I felt like humming a few bars from the song Brazil. You remember the movie. Surly?  We shuffled off to an adjoining room were Dr. L. proudly showed us the school's collection of the Index Medicus. "Where is the French version" I asked.  "There isn't one". What do I know about these things?  "America has always been in the forefront of medical research." he says. Oops - I feel a Faux Pas coming on. We then walked past a table with some French Journals and Dr L, said that researchers would often try and get their research published in the Lancet or New England Journal of Medicine as it would add prestige to anything published here. Am I feeling the walls of this great institution slowly crumbling around me. No not at all.

The one thing we can say about French medicine in general is that they know what they know. So don't go around trying to change it with new ideas or asking any question that you don't already have the answers to. 

Haven't I told you this before?  Alors!

Comments

[kevin]

Great story Larry, makes me mad I was so slow off the mark. But you did the story justice! Well done.
Kevin.