Doctor and Patient

"Doctor and Patient" by S. Weir Mitchell is a series of writings that discusses the connections between doctors and the people they care for, especially focusing on the health issues of women and their nervous problems. Aimed at doctors and regular people alike, the collection gives advice on how to handle sickness and hurting. The author starts by sharing his goal: to look into different subjects related to what doctors should do and how they need to truly understand the feelings and bodies of their patients, particularly women, seeing them as more fragile. He thinks back to his own experiences with people who were overly nervous, stressing how important it is for doctors to be kind and work to understand what makes people healthy, both in body and mind, showing how character can play a part in a healthy life. This beginning part lets readers know that the essays will mix what the author has seen with his medical knowledge, always keeping in mind how feelings play a big role when someone is sick.