Good morning.
If you did not take a French course at a certain level, at a certain school, at a certain date, you probably have not read the above play.
It is a play by Romain Rolland, written probably pre-World War Two. Its title is, "Dr. Knock, or, The Triumph of Medicine."
Dr. Knock is a young smart-ass who graduates from medical school and then sets about to buy a practice. That's what you did to set up on your own; you bought an already established practice from an old doctor who was about to retire. Then you walked in on your new life with a set of patients already set up for you.
Dr. Knock walks into his new post in time to have a farewell conference with the good old retiring doctor. "I'm afraid you have chosen a very quiet place to start your practice," says the old doctor."Up here in the mountains, we have such healthy air and water that nobody is ever ill. You'll never make much money or have much business if you stay here." And he departs.
Dr. Knock knows better. His first day in town he puts up big signs: FREE CLINIC. FREE HEALTH TESTING. And the people, tempted by the prospect of getting something for nothing, all show up.
Surprise! Turns out that they only thought that there was nothing wrong with them. Le Dr. Knock soon has everyone diagnosed with something. They are all sick, and didn't know it!!
The play progresses until, at the end, Dr. Knock is up in the middle of the night looking out at his hillside cottages all with a light on. "Look," he says to his servant,"See those cottages with a light on? That means that in each one, there is an ill person with someone up to care for him. I did that! I made all this happen!"
Dr Knock goes mad, of course. But medicine has triumphed! Is there anything familiar about this scenario? Doesn't it seem kind of like the last time you went to the doctor?
When I think of all the new diseases I just cringe. It means some pharmaceutical company has made a new drug. "Gosh, why is there so much autism now?" someone wondered the other day. Follow the pharmaceuticals, I answer. What about Type 2 Diabetes? There used to be none. You either had diabetes or you didn't. Follow the pharmaceuticals, stupid.
We have to eat as well as we can, be careful not to fall down, get some exercise and then get some rest, and say our prayers. And think about Dr Knock the next time we get handed a new prescription. YAZZYBEL
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