Another Latin Phrase Every Physician Should Know
Dr. Hugh Gamble of Greenville, one of the finer medical historians in the state, responded to my recent column on two essential Latin phrases every physician should know: “Primum Non Nocere” and “Ars Longa, Vitae Brevis.”1 He wrote, “These are well-known and time-honored admonitions. I have one more for you. The cover of the Confederate States Medical and Surgical Journal has a drawing of Asclepius. Below the drawing is quoted: ‘Experientia Docet.’ We should all be aware that ‘experience teaches’ in all issues.” This Latin phrase is an ancient quote from Tacitus, the Roman historian and senator, and was originally expressed in his Histories as “Experientia docuit” (“experience has taught”); however, it is most often quoted “Experientia docet” (“experience teaches”).2
The Confederate States Medical and Surgical Journal was published monthly from January 1864 to February 1865 and edited by the skilled Virginia physician James Brown McCaw (1823-1906), who had previously edited two medical journals in Virginia. Its audience were Southern physicians, principally those serving in the Confederate armies and hospitals. Despite arising in a time of war, this publication exerted a foundational influence on Southern medical literature. Little to no discussion of politics was conducted in its pages, rather, its focus was medicine. Numerous original case reports by military physicians and surgeons, many from Mississippi, recounting their medical experiences filled its pages, alongside analyses of reports from foreign medical journals and medical editorials. The mission of the journal, as expressed in Latin on its masthead, was to maintain the education and technical skills of the practicing Southern physician in a time of intellectual isolation. Editor McCaw hoped that the experiences of hundreds of physicians would teach other physicians in the field of service.3
Experience is a central requirement for our medical art. Author Malcolm Gladwell agreed, asserting in his 2008 book Outliers that “ten thousand hours” of practice or apprenticeship was the “magic number of greatness” before a professional achieved expertise in any skill. His 10,000-Hour Rule contends that natural ability requires the investment of time and experience to manifest competence.4 Although experience is essential, Hippocrates also acknowledges in his first aphorism that experience has its limitations and is “perilous,” even “fallacious.” Relying only on one’s experience can often be misleading in our attempts to care for our patients. Experience within the layers of our craft, however, is a powerful and necessary tool in making the externals cooperate, in balancing the possibilities.
The second word in this Latin phrase is “docet,” derived from the infinitive “docere” (“to teach”). Physicians need to recognize that this word is existential to medicine. “Doctor” is literally Latin for “teacher.” Physicians must teach in all we do, in our interactions with our patients, in our interactions with our students, and in our interactions with our peers. We are forever both teachers and students.
Not the least of the means of instruction is the medical periodical. While the Confederate States Medical and Surgical Journal appeared in only 14 numbers during its brief life, it was referenced in contemporary publications from England to New Zealand and continues to be lauded for its level of material. Today, there are about 30,000 medical journals worldwide that contribute to an ever-growing body of research. We can be pleased that our Mississippi medical journal has a firm place in the historical tradition of teaching fellow physicians through shared experience.
Contact me at drluciuslampton@gmail.com. — Lucius M. Lampton, MD, Editor