Health, Culture, and Society @ Broome

Health Blog Halloween: Horror Show Doctors
from WSJ.com: Health Blog by Jacob Goldstein

Deranged in the pursuit of knowledge, lusting for power or just stone crazy, the mad scientist is always called “Doctor” — though it’s rarely clear what his specialty might be, or whether he’ll accept your insurance.

This much is clear, though: Intentionally or not, the mad scientist has hitched his brilliance to a dark star, and the inhabitants of planet Earth — or at least a few torch-wielding villages — are in big trouble. The ivory tower types will call him (and yes, it’s basically always a him) a metaphor for science run amok. But to us he’s the bad doctor, the emblem of the Health Blog’s Halloween. Here’s a rogue’s gallery of our favorites.

Dr. Victor Frankenstein created the eponymous fiend. Frankenstein’s been a fan favorite (and cautionary tale for those who would synthesize life) since he first appeared in Mary Shelley’s 19th-Century novel. But maybe nothing about him has been as terrifying as the reported $450 it will cost to get good seats to Mel Brooks’ new Broadway production of Young Frankenstein.

Hannibal Lecter was a psychiatrist who came in for a bit of analysis himself in the scientific literature. This 2002 paper in the American Journal of Psychotherapy says he “relies heavily on schizoid defenses, such as splitting and projective identification, but is unable to avoid psychotic breaks with reality to reenact his early traumas.” Sure. Just make sure you keep that mask on him so he doesn’t bite our face off.

Dr. Henry Jekyll seemed like a nice enough guy, but his alter ego Edward Hyde was another story. Little-known fact: This split-personality fable is also a morality tale about the importance of careful record keeping in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Jekyll had to swallow a potion to keep from turning into Hyde. But when he re-ordered the ingredients for his potion, he found it didn’t work. He concluded the initial supplies were effective because an “unknown impurity.” Doomed to remain Hyde, he took his life.

Doctor Faustus reminds us that — centuries before legions of perky sales reps brought lunch for harried docs — a sole practitioner sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a look at Helen of Troy (along with unlimited knowledge and power). “Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships, and burnt the topless towers of Ilium?” Faustus asked when he saw the mythical beauty. Yes, doc. Now if you’d just take a look at these data, which show why our drug is better tolerated than the generic alternative…

Doctor Evil said it best: “It’s Dr. Evil. I didn’t spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called ‘mister,’ thank you very much.”

An honorable mention goes to Anton Phibes, with doctorates in music and theology. Phibes, as played by Vincent Price in “The Abominable Dr. Phibes,” turns serial doctor slayer to avenge the poor care he blames for his wife’s death.

We couldn’t possibly pay tribute to all the deserving docs. Which evil doctors (fictional only, please!) did we leave out?