Background The year 2016 marks the bicentennial anniversary of the premiere of "The Barber of Seville" by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868). This opera buffa, one of the most renowned in the world, puts on stage a sharp criticism against the physicians of that time in favour of empiric healers, respectively represented by the doctor Bartolo and the barber Figaro. Methods The paper analysed both the opera by Rossini and the French comedy "Le Barbier de Séville" (1775) by Pierre Beaumarchais (1732-1799), on which the Italian composer based his own play. Results The unlearned barber Figaro is portrayed as a poor but wise guy, while his rival, the graduated doctor Bartolo, is defined as an arrogant and opulent old physician. Dr. Bartolo's incompetence, lack of skill and ignorance are evident in the works by Rossini and Beaumarchais. Both plays show empiric and unskilled medicine triumphs over academic medicine, which appears weak in its scientific concepts and corrupted by money. Conclusions Arrogance, presumption and carelessness among physicians are a danger nowadays as they have been for a couple of hundred years, since they may not only lead to misjudgement and errors, but also to an increase of alternative medicines and strange healing remedies.

Riva, M., Bellani, I., Turato, M., Cesana, G. (2015). Physicians and alternative medicines in "the Barber of Seville" by Gioachino Rossini: A bicentennial debate. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, 26(10), 757-758 [10.1016/j.ejim.2015.09.018].

Physicians and alternative medicines in "the Barber of Seville" by Gioachino Rossini: A bicentennial debate

RIVA, MICHELE AUGUSTO
Primo
;
CESANA, GIANCARLO
Ultimo
2015

Abstract

Background The year 2016 marks the bicentennial anniversary of the premiere of "The Barber of Seville" by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868). This opera buffa, one of the most renowned in the world, puts on stage a sharp criticism against the physicians of that time in favour of empiric healers, respectively represented by the doctor Bartolo and the barber Figaro. Methods The paper analysed both the opera by Rossini and the French comedy "Le Barbier de Séville" (1775) by Pierre Beaumarchais (1732-1799), on which the Italian composer based his own play. Results The unlearned barber Figaro is portrayed as a poor but wise guy, while his rival, the graduated doctor Bartolo, is defined as an arrogant and opulent old physician. Dr. Bartolo's incompetence, lack of skill and ignorance are evident in the works by Rossini and Beaumarchais. Both plays show empiric and unskilled medicine triumphs over academic medicine, which appears weak in its scientific concepts and corrupted by money. Conclusions Arrogance, presumption and carelessness among physicians are a danger nowadays as they have been for a couple of hundred years, since they may not only lead to misjudgement and errors, but also to an increase of alternative medicines and strange healing remedies.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Barber of Seville; Gioachino Rossini; History; Opera; Pierre Beaumarchais; Clinical Competence; Complicity; Fraud; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Professional Misconduct; Self Efficacy; Complementary Therapies; Medicine in Art; Physicians; Internal Medicine
English
2015
26
10
757
758
none
Riva, M., Bellani, I., Turato, M., Cesana, G. (2015). Physicians and alternative medicines in "the Barber of Seville" by Gioachino Rossini: A bicentennial debate. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, 26(10), 757-758 [10.1016/j.ejim.2015.09.018].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/172032
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