This event has ended!

View current events hosted by The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

What Mark Twain Might Tell Us (and Ask Us) if He Could Join Us Tonight

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (ET)

Philadelphia, PA

What Mark Twain Might Tell (and Ask Us) if He Could Join Us...

Ticket Information

Type End     Quantity
LECTURE Ended Free  

Event Details

Mark Twain, one of America's premier spokesmen, had a lot to say about the medical profession. Twain's works are rich in medical imagery and medical themes. He experimented with many of the alternative care systems available in his day― partly because of his frustration with traditional medicine and partly because he hoped to find the "perfect" system that would bring health to his family. Twain's medical commentary provides a unique perspective on American medicine, as fresh and relevant today as it was over a century ago.

K. Patrick Ober, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and Associate Dean for Education at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC and author of Mark Twain and Medicine: Any Mummery Will Cure will explore Twain's personal perspectives on the complex interactions between doctors, patients, and medicine, with an emphasis on the humanistic viewpoint.


Sponsored by the Wood Institute for the History of Medicine and the Sections on Medicine and the Arts and Medical History.

When & Where



The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
19 South 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (ET)


  Add to my calendar

Hosted By

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia



The College of Physicians of Philadelphia is the oldest medical society & the oldest steward of American Medicine, and is regarded as the “Birthplace of American Medicine”SM, offering insight into medicine’s past, present and future.

Our specimens, book collections, archives, personal journals and ephemera are more relevant today than ever – attracting more visitors and users of our collections and facilities than ever before in our history.

Dedicated to advancing the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine, the College remains an unbiased community resource without allegiance to one healthsystem, a particular educational institution or industry.

The College’s historical contributions to medicine are bolstered by our contemporary public health and education programs including PhillyHealthInfo.org, our comprehensive website. This website provides consumers with authoritative, current, and easy to understand health information, as well as phone numbers and locations of support services, programs and health events in their community.