'The Doctor' by Sir Luke Fildes in 1887, is one of the famous paintings depicting medicine. Ia memberi pengajaran kepada doktor era moden tentang ‘kehadiran’ or being present — especially in these days when overzealous usage of electronics and gadgets can sometimes be a potential barrier between a doctor and their patients.
In the painting, an elderly doctor made a house call to a less well to do family. He was sitting close to the patient, a young girl on a makeshift bed formed by mismatched chairs. His strained posture and grave facial expression encapsulated his feelings and the moment. The parents at the back looking helpless. The child was in terminal stage of typhoid fever, a life-threatening infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, spread through contaminated food or water. And it was late at night or early wee hours of the morning after perhaps a night vigil.
The painting emphasizes the special connection between the physician and his patient — at a time when there was little doctors could do in terms of treatments, before the discovery of antibiotics (notice the crumpled prescriptions on the floor). Nevertheless, the doctor remain steadfast and his presence in the household to some degree brought comfort to parents — and the doctor stayed with the child until the very end.
The original painting can be viewed at the Tate Britain in London.
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