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Benjamin Franklin's Contributions to Medicine
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Tsung O. Cheng, MD, FACP George Washington University, Washington, DC
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tcheng{at}mfa.gwu.edu Tsung O. Cheng
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It was by sheer coincidence that Hirschmann’s article on “Benjamin Franklin and Medicine” [1] appeared in the same month of December as “The Medical World of Benjamin Franklin” by Gensel in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine [2]. Because not many medical doctors in the United States read the latter journal regularly, I thought it worthwhile to point out some aspects of Benjamin Franklin in Gensel’s article that were not mentioned in Hirschmann’s article. Franklin’s most famous advices on health included such maxims as: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” [2], “Be not sick too late, nor well too soon” [2], “Time is an herb that cures all diseases” [2], and “Eat to live and not live to eat” [2]. “Many of Franklin’s medical writings showed the same spirit of public activism that characterized his civic and national projects. He repeatedly used his skills with pen and press in support of innovations that could make a difference in the public health” [2]. As was pointed out by Hirschmann [1], Franklin was called Dr. Franklin after 1759, because he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland for his contributions to understanding electricity. Frankly speaking, Franklin was almost equally qualified to be called a doctor of medicine for his medical interests and contributions. Tsung O. Cheng, MD, FACP Professor of Medicine George Washington University Medical Center Washington, D.C. References 1. Hirschmann JV: Benjamin Franklin and medicine. Ann Intern Med 2005;143:830-834. 2. Gensel L: The medical world of Benjamin Franklin. J Royal Soc Med 2005;98:534-538. Conflict of Interest:None declared |
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