J. T. could not tolerate the response to his enquiry “What is your trouble?”, “It’s my kidneys doctor.” “Kidneys! What do you know about kidneys!” (or liver, or stomach, or whatever other anatomical structure or physiological function to which the patient chose to refer). It offended both his medical knowledge and his sense of propriety. The patient, frightened at having given offence to such an eminent authority, would close up and volunteer no further suggestions lest a further storm be evoked.
Trotter, on the other hand, listened with unassumed interest as if the patient’s contributions flowed from the fount of knowledge itself. It took me years of experience before I learned that this was in fact the case. When a patient co-operates so far as actually to present himself for inspection, the doctor from whom help is being sought is being given the chance of seeing and hearing for himself the origin of the pain. No need to ask, “Where does it hurt?”— though it would clearly be a comfort to have his query answered in a language that he understands. The anger that is so easily aroused is the ‘helper’s’ reaction to an awareness that he does not understand the language, or that the language that he does understand is not the relevant one or is being employed in a manner with which he is unfamiliar. Trotter’s undisturbed friendly interest had the effect of eliciting further evidence from the patient; the fount of knowledge did not dry up.
It was said that when Trotter did a skin graft it ‘took’; if Taylor did a skin graft— with equal or maybe even greater technical brilliance and accuracy— it did not take; the body rejected it; it was sloughed off. This I did not see, but that the story was told was itself significant of the impression that was created by the two men on their students.
Bion, Wilfred R. (1991-12-31). All My Sins Remembered: Another Part of a Life & The Other Side of Genius: Family Letters (Kindle Locations 562-576). Karnac Books. Kindle Edition.
authentic analysis 