28 Questions
What does the term 'bench medicine' refer to?
Clinical research and medical science
What is the focus of philosophy of medicine?
The nature and acquisition of knowledge through research
What region is described in Note 1?
The Middle East, bounded by the Mediterranean, Taurus, Zagros, and Arabian desert
What is the origin of the parable about the dispute over the number of teeth in a horse's mouth?
The parable is attributed to Francis Bacon, but this attribution is widely held to be spurious
What does the parable about the dispute over the number of teeth in a horse's mouth illustrate?
The futility of arguing over trivial details without evidence
What is the main point of the passage?
To provide an overview of the philosophy of medicine
What was the main cause of the scurvy that the patients were suffering from?
Lack of vitamin C in their diet
What was the main treatment prescribed by the hospital surgeon?
Garlic, mustard-seed, rad.raphan., balsam of Peru, and gum myrrh
How many days did the patients continue under the initial course of treatment?
6 days
What was the result of the patients taking the oranges and lemons?
One of the patients became fit for duty within six days
What was the purpose of the barley water that was acidulated with tamarinds?
To act as a laxative
According to the passage, what does the term 'normal' potentially refer to?
All of the above
Which of the following conditions is used as an example to argue that 'normal' does not necessarily mean 'expected'?
Both cystic fibrosis and cleft palate
If 'normal' is defined as a statistical norm or average, what issue does the passage highlight?
Most people would be considered abnormal
According to the passage, how might the definition of 'normal' be broadened to include more people?
By considering anyone within one standard deviation of the mean as normal
What does the passage imply about defining 'normal' in terms of deviations from a healthy state?
It is a flawed approach because it begs the question of what 'normal' means
What is the overall message of the passage regarding the definition of 'normal'?
The definition of 'normal' is complex and has multiple interpretations
According to the passage, what percentage of the population does the range encompass in a large population?
68%
What was the primary impact of smallpox on those who survived the disease?
They were left disfigured and often disabled, with loss of vision.
What does the passage suggest is problematic about setting the range of 'normal' at one standard deviation above and below the mean?
It is arbitrary and subjective.
According to the passage, what was the primary reason that smallpox was so devastating to the human species?
Smallpox killed more people than the Black Death and all the bloody wars of the twentieth century put together.
What is the main issue the passage raises with using a statistical 'norm' to set upper and lower boundaries for physiological characteristics?
It is not based on actual disease outcomes.
What is the author's main purpose in including the quote from Jennifer Lee Carrell's book?
To illustrate the horrors of smallpox and how lucky we are to live in a world without it.
According to the passage, what is the key issue with designating about 32% of the population as 'abnormal' for any specific characteristic?
It is too high a percentage to be considered normal.
What does the author mean by the "foregoing philosophical matters" that arise in the history of medicine?
The ethical and moral considerations that emerge in the development of medical treatments.
What does the passage suggest about the role of variability in evolutionary biology?
Variability is essential for evolutionary dynamics.
According to the passage, when did smallpox arrive in Rome?
Around 165 CE, presumably from Asia.
What does the passage suggest about how the statistical mean for a characteristic might change over time and between environments?
The statistical mean will differ between environments and change over time.
Test your understanding of a medicine experiment described in the text. Try to recall details about the patients, the treatment, and the results to ace this quiz.
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