Charcot's Lesson

This book explores key aspects of scientific reasoning, clinical methodology, and evidence-based practice, using quotes from the lectures of Jean-Martin Charcot (1825–1893) as a starting point for discussion and in-depth analysis. Charcot is a towering figure in the history of medicine, regarded as the father of modern neurology. The lectures he delivered at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, where he examined patients with various disorders, remain an invaluable source of insight into his reasoning, clinical acumen, and methodology. The book aims to bridge the enduring legacy of the past with recent advances in epistemology and clinical methodology. It covers a variety of relevant topics, including inductive and deductive reasoning, logical fallacies, the importance of history-taking, the Bayesian approach to diagnosis, principles of evidence-based practice, critical appraisal of different study types, and the necessity of a skeptical attitude toward tradition and authority. Readers will gain crucial insights into scientific reasoning and clinical methodology from a fresh and potentially enlightening perspective. This could enhance clinical activities and stimulate thoughtful and critical reflections on everyday clinical practice.