Lessons on Building a Business Portfolio and Expertise from 18th Century Corpse-Stealing Physicians and Anatomists!

Lessons on Building a Business Portfolio and Expertise

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From 18th Century Corpse-Stealing Physicians and Anatomists

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An original Business blog article by Yonatan Maisel exclusively at JobShuk

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I’ve just finished reading one of the most fascinating historical works that I’ve ever read: The Knife Man: The Extraordinary Life and Times of John Hunter, Father of Modern Surgery (Wendy Moore; Broadway Publishing, 352 pages, 2005).

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The book centers on Scottish-born surgeon John Hunter (1728-1793), a little-known figure from history, but one to whom every modern Medical practitioner and patient owes an enormous debt of gratitude.

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The purpose of this blog article is not to write a biography of Hunter: many exist online which can be read. Nor is it to review the amazing work by Wendy Moore: many reviews have already been penned.

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Rather, it is to look at Hunter’s amazing life in a modern Business context. In a macabre sense, it will focus on two concepts: grave-robbing and corpse-thievery!

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Medicine in the 1700s:

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It was a time when Medicine was NOTHING like it is today. A warship’s surgeon was usually its carpenter…skilled with a saw, he was very adept at amputation. The guild which oversaw surgeons was the same one which oversaw barbers! Doctor’s had no idea of bacteria and the origin of infections: there were no antibiotics and surgeons didn’t prep by washing their hands. Surgery was performed without anesthesia. And the most widespread treatment of ailments was "bleeding" with leeches.

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The survival rate of surgery was abysmal. Doctors were encouraged to follow the "old ways" which had been in practice for thousands of years. Those who experimented or sought advancements were labeled as "quacks." How dare you doubt Hippocrates! 

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John Hunter was truly a man ahead of his time. He knew that in order to advance medicine from its primitive, deadly state, he would need to widen his view of anatomy; he needed an inner look at the wonders and machinations of the human body. And dissecting animal corpses had its limitations.

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Hunter knew he had to turn to the educational tool which is now the mainstay of every modern Medical student’s hands-on education: the corpse. He needed cadavers!

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As far as I’m concerned, one of the most intriguing aspects of the book is how he got the cadavers. Hunter and his colleagues organized regular raiding parties to go to the cemeteries where unfortunate people, mostly homeless and indigent, had just been buried. It proved a rich supply.

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However, when pressure from the authorities mounted and the penalties increased, the anatomists turned to another source: executions! Yup, they attended hangings. This the government allowed. As soon as the criminal was declared dead, a fight would ensue between the rival groups of anatomists and surgeons. First-come-first-served, it was a free-for-all battle to rip down the corpse from the hangman’s noose and claim the body as theirs!

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It was through dissection of human corpses that the medical knowledge we now take for granted came into existence, and useless, "quackish" practices that often expedited death were discarded. John Hunter truly was the pioneer of modern Medicine! His methods raise countless moral and ethical dilemmas, but his discoveries saved millions of lives.

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Hunter became a Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society and eventually personal Surgeon of King George III. In 1789 he became Britain’s Surgeon General.

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Modern Business Lessons:

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No, I don’t advocate grave-robbery or breaking laws, though in Hunter’s case it proved highly-useful.

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But as businesspeople there are principles we all can utilize:

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1) Building a Portfolio: Whether becoming a freelancer as I did, or beginning in any profession anew, a solid portfolio is an essential tool for Marketing and Advertising. In the tradition of Hunter, it demands perfecting skills and presenting excellence. Hunter’s ideas were initially met with skepticism and derision by colleagues, societies and patients alike, but soon, as his techniques proved life-saving, the wealthy and famous were knocking on his door!

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2) Utilize all of the Tools at Your Disposal! Seek out every bit of prevailing knowledge and wisdom that you have at your disposal to build your expertise and experience!

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3) Experiment! Textbooks and theories are often great initial ways of learning, but almost every profession has at its core hands-on means to deepen learning. Play around! Experiment! Dissect things. Perfect means and methods. Learn through trial-and-error! Turn mistakes into learning tools to increase efficiency and bring about positive outcomes.

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4) Dare to "Swim Against the Stream!" Call it bucking conventionality. Call it being original, inquisitive or pioneering. Whatever you call it, look for new angles. Seek to gain insight. Examine things from a new perspective. And most importantly, don’t believe that just because things have always been done a certain way that it is the best way to do things, or the ONLY way!

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Experimentation and Examination are the hallmarks of Entrepreneurship and Discovery!

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A fact proven by…

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John Hunter:

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The pioneer of modern Medicine!

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Dear Reader, if you’ve enjoyed this original blog article please consider giving it a Re-Tweet. It would be most graciously appreciated!

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Image Credits:  John Hunter: www.electricscotland.com ;  Textbook and Tools: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk ;  World: www.imba.nccu.edu.

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Yonatan Maisel is a Business blogger, history buff and author. He specializes in all aspects of Business writing.

From speeches to resumes, from corporate bios to research, from blogging to website content, from articles to ghost-writing, he provides the highest level of quality at a very reasonable price.

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