The charming physician (El médico encantador): neurological conditions in a short story by Silvina Ocampo

Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2017 Nov;75(11):830-832. doi: 10.1590/0004-282X20170129.

Abstract

The Argentinian author Silvina Ocampo (1903-1993) left us a vast body of works which are considered outstanding in many ways. In 1960, she published a short story, entitled "El médico encantador" (The Charming Physician), in the renowned literary magazine Sur. The central character of this piece is a family doctor named Albino Morgan, who had a secret truth: in any house he visited, all variety of disease also entered. He brought with him the viruses he disseminated. The narrator of this short story-one of his patients-describes four of Morgan's diseases. These imaginary neurological conditions allowed Ocampo to explore improbable situations in everyday life.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Argentina
  • History, 20th Century
  • Medicine in Literature*
  • Neurology*
  • Writing / history*

Personal name as subject

  • Silvina Ocampo