{"id":126724,"date":"2025-01-29T01:15:41","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T06:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=126724"},"modified":"2025-01-29T01:16:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T06:16:57","slug":"doctor-curmudgeon-the-white-coat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=126724","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Curmudgeon The White Coat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1545664804358300\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1545664804358300\" data-ad-slot=\"8616314829\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=126724\" rel=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=126724\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-126725 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/download-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/download-4.png 225w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/download-4-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>By Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D. FAAP Doctor Eisman is in Family Practice in Aventura, Florida with her partner, Dr. Eugene Eisman, an internist\/cardiologist<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As I wrestled a clean white coat from its hangar, I wondered why this had become symbolic of the medical profession.<\/p>\n<p>When did the idea of wearing a white coat begin?<\/p>\n<p>I was astonished to learn that until the latter part of the nineteenth century, doctors were garbed in black. Doctors of that time did not have much formal education and were not looked upon as scientists. When a physician attended to a patient, he\/she wore formal street clothes, usually black. Since the Clergy wore black and were respected, physicians donned black in the hope of signifying professionalism, respectability, formality, and solemnity. It was believed that wearing a black coat would express the seriousness of the profession. And wearing a dark coat presented another benefit&#8211; blood and messy stuff did not show up as easily as on a lighter color.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Until the late nineteenth century, seeing a doctor was a last resort&#8211; often as a precursor to death. Even paintings depicted physicians in dark coats. Thomas Eakins, a famous painter, created \u201cthe Gross Clinic\u201d showing Jefferson Medical College\u2019s amphitheater where a team led by Dr.Samuel Gross removed a leg\u2014and all were dressed in black.<\/p>\n<p>In those early days of the nineteenth century, visiting a doctor was not a good experience and was to be avoided if at all possible. Mortality rates were high. The doctor would come to the patient\u2019s home. There was a lot of bloodletting and it was believed that sweating cured many ailments. Enemas were often given. Procedures were painful and could result in fatal infections. Even surgery without any anesthesia was carried out in the home of the patient.<\/p>\n<p>It was not until the twentieth century that the white coat emerged as a symbol of medical authority and respect. Anesthesia arrived and surgeons could operate more slowly and precisely\u2014less blood and mess. They could now toss their black coats into the trash.<\/p>\n<p>Antisepsis and the understanding of infectious disease arrived. With scientific advances, doctors had a new found respectability and seriousness of purpose. The white coat was now established as the symbol of the doctor-patient encounter. It now represented respect and medical authority.<\/p>\n<p>(EDITOR\u2019S NOTE FROM GALAHAD, THE SIBERIAN HUSKY WHO IS DOCTOR CURMUDGEON\u2019S COUSIN:<\/p>\n<p>TODAY, MANY DOCTORS DO NOT WEAR WHITE COATS, PREFERRING SCRUBS. BUT THE WHITE COAT DOES STILL LIVE ON).<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Curmudgeon suggests &#8220;Bitter Medicine\u201d, Dr. Eugene Eisman&#8217;s story of his experiences&#8211;from the humorous to the intense&#8212;as a young army doctor serving in the Vietnam War.<br \/>\nBitter Medicine by Eugene H. Eisman, M.D. &#8211;on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Bitter-Medicine-Doctors-Year-Vietnam\/dp\/0615874347\">Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Doctor Curmudgeon\u00ae is Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D., a physician-satirist. This column originally appeared on SERMO, the leading global social network for doctors.<br \/>\nSERMO www.sermo.com<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #808000;\"><a style=\"color: #808000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.authorhouse.com\/en\/bookstore\/bookdetails\/232300-BOXING-INTERVIEWS-OF-A-LIFETIME\">Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By &#8220;Bad&#8221; Brad Berkwitt<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wpforms-container wpforms-container-full\" id=\"wpforms-126533\"><form id=\"wpforms-form-126533\" class=\"wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form\" data-formid=\"126533\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" action=\"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F126724\" data-token=\"2642c6c22088569bc844d7c9a611b27f\" data-token-time=\"1776824507\"><noscript class=\"wpforms-error-noscript\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.<\/noscript><div class=\"wpforms-field-container\">\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4-container\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-type=\"text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-id=\"4\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" >Name Comment Message<\/label>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][4]\" >\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-name\" data-field-id=\"1\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\">Name <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><div class=\"wpforms-field-row wpforms-field-medium\"><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-first wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-first wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][first]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">First<\/label><\/div><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-last wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][last]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">Last<\/label><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-email\" data-field-id=\"2\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\">Email <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><input type=\"email\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][2]\" spellcheck=\"false\" required><\/div><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-textarea\" data-field-id=\"3\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\">Comment or Message<\/label><textarea id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][3]\" ><\/textarea><\/div><script>\n\t\t\t\t( function() {\n\t\t\t\t\tconst style = document.createElement( 'style' );\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle.appendChild( document.createTextNode( '#wpforms-126533-field_4-container { position: absolute !important; 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When did the idea of wearing a white coat begin? I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":126725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[32588],"class_list":["post-126724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-boxing-news","tag-doctor-curmudgeon-the-white-coat"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=126724"}],"version-history":[{"count":-3,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126724\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/126725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=126724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=126724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=126724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}