Parkinsonian Advices or on a nowadays little read essay of James P. of Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London. (P5.307)

Objective: To describe some advises of JP for medical students and briefly review his life. Background: Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the 1817 publication of “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy”, by James Parkinson (JP), we bring JP own “voice” as recorded on four letters on tutoring medical students, published as “The Hospital Pupil” in 1800. Design/Methods: An analysis of the full text of “The Hospital Pupil; or, an Essay intended to facilitate the Study of Medicine and Surgery. In Four Letters, by James Parkinson. Printed for Symonds, Paternoster-Row. 1800. London [III + 159 pages]. Results: There are general instructions as: “A sympathetic concern, and a tender interest for the sufferings of others, ought to characterize all those who engage themselves in a profession”; and the hilarious “I need hardly repeat to you the vulgar observation, that a physician seldom obtains bread by his profession, until he has no teeth left to eat it”. Also many recommendations on how to study: “Never read but with your pen in your hand, and your commonplace book beside you, in which you will enter such passages as strike your mind by their novelty and importance”; as well as what to study, including anatomy, chemistry, physiology, nosology, material medica, practice of physic, practice of surgery, morbid anatomy, mathematics, and obstetric art: “Mathematical enquiries have been recommended, as useful in producing that tone of mind, which favours this uniform exercise of its powers; and, certainly, by resolutely persevering in such studies, the mind being thus frequently fixed on one object, will gradually gain those habits of abstraction so necessary to every kind of study”. Conclusions: JP recommendations on “The Hospital Pupil” shows his high personal believes and professional ethics and can be used as examples for contemporary teaching and practice of medicine. Disclosure: Dr. Correa Neto has nothing to disclose. Dr. Correa has nothing to disclose.