The Evil Eye, Thanatology, and Other Essays

The Evil Eye, Thanatology, and Other Essays is a collection of essays and addresses by Roswell Park. The preface says the essays and addresses partake of the character of studies in that borderland of anthropology, biology, philology and history which surrounds the immediate domain of medical and general science. The writer says he has seen, outside of many a door in Tangier, the imprint of a hand made by placing the outstretched hand upon some sticky black or colored material.

The text cites the biblical account in Exodus 17: 11, in which Israel prevailed when Moses held up his hand and Amalek prevailed when he let down his hand. The text says that to the highly developed reasoning powers Bruno possessed were added, among others, a phenomenal memory and a tremendous power of assimilation. The text says Velpeau, perhaps the greatest French surgeon of his day, wrote in 1839 that to escape pain in surgical operations is a chimera which we are not permitted to look for in our day.