Poetry and Medicine
Edited by Lucius Lampton, MD; JMSMA Editor
[This issue, I begin a series focused on poems written by C Ron Cannon, MD, a retired Jackson Otolaryngologist and a longtime member of this association as well as a past contributor to this Journal. My first scientific publication in this Journal was co-writtten and led by Dr. Cannon, who also served as my teacher and mentor during my medical training.1 He is a gifted physician whose work and teaching influenced many other physicians and improved the lives of countless patients. This poem, “Bard Parker Gang,” reflects on the practice of surgery and the surgeon’s almost existential tool: the scalpel. Despite the truth that a “chance to cut” is a “chance to cure,” the “trick” of the surgical art is knowing “when to cut and especially when not.”
Earlier this year, Dr. Cannon published a book entitled “Reflections of a Career in Medicine: Notes from the field,” a brilliant and original collection of thoughts and memories of the practice of medicine over forty years all expressed in poetic rather than narrative format. This poem is from that collection. In looking over his long career, Cannon remembers, “The majority of the time I did not feel as if I had to go to work, but enjoyed the relationships with other doctors, nurses and staff members and especially with my patients. It is meaningful to be able to help folks with their health issues. One of the unique aspects of medicine is that you continue to learn and evolve as a healer.”2 He asserts that he wrote the book as a memoir of his career for his family, fellow physicians and health professionals, and non-medical readers. This unique collection provides ample insights into the practice of medicine and the diverse experiences which health professionals encounter daily.
He adds, “There are over 55 different types of poetry, including for example clipping sections from a newspaper or magazine and looking for word patterns. In this broad context the following collection could be considered to be poetic. I thought this would be a more interesting way to convey my thoughts than simply a matter of fact dry recounting of my experiences in the practice of medicine. In this collection are several different types of poetry. Utilized primarily are couplets with end rhymes, some limericks (well sort of- but not very bawdy!) about several common patient complaints and other medical specialties. I poke some gentle fun of my friends in other specialties but also at my own specialty. Anyone who can withstand the rigors of medical school and the following years of specialty training has my utmost respect! Some of the names that I used are indeed fellow docs that I have known, at other times just needed a name that would rhyme. There are also quatrains, cinquains, acrostics, symploce and a few other forms as well.”2
He revealed, in very kind comments, that this Journal’s regular poetry feature played a key role in his interest in poetic expression: “Oddly enough my interest in poetry was kindled by the scientific publication of the Mississippi State Medical Association. The Journal features a section on Poetry in Medicine. Many of the poems in this section have been written by Mississippi physicians. These poems were the genesis of efforts to write my own poems.”2
Dr. Cannon has served as President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery and for its certifying board. He also served as Chairman of the national ENT Doctors Board of Governors. He and his wife Beth live on a lake in Brandon.
The editorial assistance of Cathy Chance Harvey, PhD, of Tylertown, in the preparation of this poem is gratefully acknowledged. Physicians are invited to submit poems for publication in the Journal either by email at drluciuslampton@gmail.com or regular mail to the Journal, attention: Dr. Lampton.]—Ed.
Bard Parker Gang
Surgeons are descended
From the Asclepian tribe,
Known as the Bard Parker Gang
This group is easy to describe
Robots, lasers, scopes and the like,
Yet the scalpel remains their first choice,
Embedded deep within,
From their inner voice
Specialized in all types of surgery
Especially in “otomy” and “ectomy”
This colorful and motley crew
Always operates credibly!
Wearing blood stained scrubs,
Working into the night
This weary gang
Often looks a fright!
Fueled by strong coffee,
While driving a gurney-
It is all a part
Of the surgical journey
There is a rumor that
Surgeons are not very smart-
But remember that being one
Is not for the faint of heart!
A chance to cut
Is a chance to cure
It is a known part
Of the surgeon’s armature
The trick is knowing when to
Cut and especially when not
A surgical procedure is
More than tying a knot
The Bard Parker Gang is
Part of the medical family,
This brief description
Is no odious homily
*The surgeon’s oldest instrument and associated symbol is the scalpel. It dates back over 10 millennia and is derived from the Latin word scallpellus. Surgical blades were initially composed of flint as well as jade and obsidian. Currently they are primarily composed of stainless steel. The current global market per year for scalpels is about $136.2 million (2018). There is thought to be an increasing need for scalpels due to the increasing geriatric population and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, which require surgical intervention. A young engineer, Morgan Parker, developed a patent for a two-piece handle and blade that is still used in practice today. He found a medical supplier, and together in 1915 they formed the Bard-Parker company which has become synonymous with the surgical scalpel.3
—C Ron Cannon, MD
Brandon, Mississippi