Autoanalyzer, by Leonard T. Skeggs, c.1960. From Dittrick collection.
As a longtime follower of Thomas Söderqvist’s blog, Biomedicine on Display, I have learned more there about contemporary medicine than from any other source I consult. Thomas has been in a privileged circumstance, having spent several years, along with his team of postdocs, documenting biomedical innovations, 1955-2005. Along the way he has relayed the joys and thrills, as well as trial and tribulations of collecting modern “stuff” for the Medical Museion in Copehagen.
I commented on Thomas’ blog often enough to start a friendly correspondence, offering input from an American perspective -- specifically, musings on what drives our approach to health care and medical technology. The result: he officially invited me to be a guest blogger on contemporary medicine. My first posting reflects upon consumer driven demand for expensive medical technology, as reported in a recent NYT piece on robotic surgery by Gina Kolata. Check it out, but more important, pay a regular visit to Biomedicine on Display.
Jim Edmonson
