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There is Not Too Much to Learn
260
THREEFOOT, CABRERA-GIL AND PEARSON
14 Swan HC , \Vilson PC : A stud y of the proteinurias followin~ man ipulation of the renal blood vessels. Amer J Med Sci 246 : 1.'53, 1963 1.'5 Heptinstall HH : Pathology of the Kidney, Boston, Little Brown & Company, 1966 I' 20.'5 16 Hamburger J, et al (eds }: Nephrology (Vol II) Philadelphia , W. B. Saunders, 1968 PI' 1209-1210
17 Threefoot SA, Pearson JE [r, Bradburn DM : Acute and chronic changes following obstruction of renal lymphatics in dogs, in Progress in Lymphology II, Selected Papers of Second International Congress of Lymphology, Viamonte ~I , Koehler R, Witte C, et al (eds.} : Stuttgart, Georg Th ieme Verlag , 1970 Reprint requests : Dr . Threefoot, TouTO Infirmary, New Orleans 70115
From the Writings of George E. Burch Don't Restrict Constructive Thought Too frequentl y, thoughts and ideas untestable by experiment are considered absurd and unrealistic. Nothing can be more erron eous . To consider thinking of value and importance only if it can immediately be tested experimentally is to limit thought to the current state of development of laboratory research. Let there be no restriction on constructive thought. Much healthy, creative thinking should be the aim of all men . Good thinking has value and purpose and benefits all mankind; selfish thought, not even oneself. Thinking good for others is good for oneself. No man with a thought can come to nought ; a man without thought is nought.
Contributions in logic made by mathematicians and theoreti<: physicists displ ay the power of man 's mind. Concepts, theories, hypotheses, and ideas of abstract thought remain to be tested in the laboratory, but the importance and future validation of good thought are certain, just as abstract thoughts have been in the past. A thought stimulates further thought, culminating ultimately in laboratory testing and verification . Proliferation of thought among men may exceed the original germinating abstract thought in importance. Burch GE: Of scientific thought. A~IA Arch Int Med 102:855-61, 1958
There is Not Too Much to Learn It is generally considered that there is "too much to learn " in medicine todav. This is not true. Surely, there are highly specialized a;ld technical procedures that are available only at the large medi cal centers, but the average clinician, including the average cardiologist, does not have too much to learn. To be an excellent cardiologist, one must first be an excellent internist. The cardiologist must read and study both cardiology and
internal medicine diligently and consistently throughout his career. With the abundance of good medical publications and meetings, the important developments are readily available to him. The physician need only read and study to continue his education adequately and well. Burch GE: There is not too much to learn. Amer 1 Cardiol 22 : 137, 1968
CHEST, VOL. 58, NO.3, SEPTEMBER 1970
THREEFOOT, CABRERA-GIL AND PEARSON
14 Swan HC , \Vilson PC : A stud y of the proteinurias followin~ man ipulation of the renal blood vessels. Amer J Med Sci 246 : 1.'53, 1963 1.'5 Heptinstall HH : Pathology of the Kidney, Boston, Little Brown & Company, 1966 I' 20.'5 16 Hamburger J, et al (eds }: Nephrology (Vol II) Philadelphia , W. B. Saunders, 1968 PI' 1209-1210
17 Threefoot SA, Pearson JE [r, Bradburn DM : Acute and chronic changes following obstruction of renal lymphatics in dogs, in Progress in Lymphology II, Selected Papers of Second International Congress of Lymphology, Viamonte ~I , Koehler R, Witte C, et al (eds.} : Stuttgart, Georg Th ieme Verlag , 1970 Reprint requests : Dr . Threefoot, TouTO Infirmary, New Orleans 70115
From the Writings of George E. Burch Don't Restrict Constructive Thought Too frequentl y, thoughts and ideas untestable by experiment are considered absurd and unrealistic. Nothing can be more erron eous . To consider thinking of value and importance only if it can immediately be tested experimentally is to limit thought to the current state of development of laboratory research. Let there be no restriction on constructive thought. Much healthy, creative thinking should be the aim of all men . Good thinking has value and purpose and benefits all mankind; selfish thought, not even oneself. Thinking good for others is good for oneself. No man with a thought can come to nought ; a man without thought is nought.
Contributions in logic made by mathematicians and theoreti<: physicists displ ay the power of man 's mind. Concepts, theories, hypotheses, and ideas of abstract thought remain to be tested in the laboratory, but the importance and future validation of good thought are certain, just as abstract thoughts have been in the past. A thought stimulates further thought, culminating ultimately in laboratory testing and verification . Proliferation of thought among men may exceed the original germinating abstract thought in importance. Burch GE: Of scientific thought. A~IA Arch Int Med 102:855-61, 1958
There is Not Too Much to Learn It is generally considered that there is "too much to learn " in medicine todav. This is not true. Surely, there are highly specialized a;ld technical procedures that are available only at the large medi cal centers, but the average clinician, including the average cardiologist, does not have too much to learn. To be an excellent cardiologist, one must first be an excellent internist. The cardiologist must read and study both cardiology and
internal medicine diligently and consistently throughout his career. With the abundance of good medical publications and meetings, the important developments are readily available to him. The physician need only read and study to continue his education adequately and well. Burch GE: There is not too much to learn. Amer 1 Cardiol 22 : 137, 1968
CHEST, VOL. 58, NO.3, SEPTEMBER 1970