Perspectives in Biology and Medicine

ABSTRACT:

Sources from literature and art continue to offer perspectives on episodes of collective sense of loss and despair from unavoidable tragedies. The Doctor Stamp, based on the famous painting by British artist Sir Luke Fildes (1844–1927), was issued in 1947 by the US Postal Service to commemorate the first centennial of the founding of the American Medical Association. At the time of issue, the US was in the middle of the mid-century polio epidemic. The author obtained two First Day Covers of The Doctor Stamp, one of which was addressed to Dr. George Minot, who shared the 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing the treatment for pernicious anemia. The conjunction of these events—an anniversary, an incurable virus epidemic, and a doctor who found a treatment for a devastating condition of unknown etiology—offer those suffering from a sense of loss and despair due to COVID-19 some hopeful anticipation of better days to come.