{"id":27512,"date":"2015-06-23T13:24:08","date_gmt":"2015-06-23T17:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/?p=27512"},"modified":"2016-02-05T10:20:10","modified_gmt":"2016-02-05T14:20:10","slug":"weight-not-measured-in-pounds-fischerisms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/2015\/06\/weight-not-measured-in-pounds-fischerisms\/","title":{"rendered":"Weight Not Measured in Pounds: “Fischerisms.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nathan Hood<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Fischer<\/a>

Dr. Martin H. Fischer, faculty photo from 1912.<\/p><\/div>\n

Scientist, professor, author, artist \u2013 at the time of his death in 1962, the wealth of Dr. Martin H. Fischer\u2019s experiences had him regarded by some to be a kind of \u2018universal man.\u2019 Who was Dr. Martin H. Fischer? The overwhelming prevalence of dates, research, and other such facts are often too impersonal and superficial to reveal much about the deeper character of this impressive person. Fortunately, there still exist copies of a booklet too ironically and deceptively inconspicuous for the enormous significance of the information it contains: Fischerisms<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Fischerisms is a compilation of Dr. Fischer\u2019s various aphorisms first brought together by Howard Fabing with the aid of Albert Flagge and first published by the Medical College Bookstore, University of Cincinnati, in 1930.<\/p>\n

\"Title<\/a>

Cover and inside title page of the first edition of Fischerisms<\/em>, published in 1930.
This picture serves as a link to a scanned, online copy of the book.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fabing's<\/a>

Fabing addresses Dr. Fischer at the beginning of the first edition (page 3-5).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Page<\/a>

Page 7 of Fischerisms<\/em> (first edition) \u2013
the first page with aphorisms.<\/p><\/div>\n

The fischerisms of this hand-held book seem to be listed randomly or otherwise perhaps loosely grouped by topic. Even in the second edition of Fischerisms<\/em>, the organization of aphorisms appears idiosyncratic.<\/p>\n

The second and enlarged edition of Fischerisms<\/em> was published in 1937 by The Science Press Printing Company. This edition was primarily effectuated by Robert Marr with the acknowledged help of Flagge as well as Elsie Krug, Victor Strauss, J. P. Wozencraft, and Albert Weyman. Like Fabing, Marr also addresses Dr. Fischer in this edition; his \u2018letter\u2019 follows a copy of Fabing\u2019s from the first edition.<\/p>\n

While many of the added aphorisms in the second edition are interspersed among those of the first, it is perhaps significant that the first and last fischerisms remain consistent in both editions.<\/p>\n

\""Winged<\/a>

Close-up. \u201cWinged Bull of St. Luke\u201d was restored in celebration by the class of 1947. This photo serves as a link to the blog, \u201cThe Stained Glass Windows of Dr. Martin H. Fischer\u2019s Lecture Hall.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cObservation, Reason, Human Understanding, Courage; these make the physician.\u201d \u2013 the first aphorism of both editions\u00a0was also part of the stained glass installations of\u00a0Dr. Fischer’s\u00a0old physiology lecture hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I tell you to lead the inner life, I am trying to express these words of the poet: \u2018If I had but one loaf of bread \/ I would sell half, \/ To buy white hyacinths \/ To feed my soul.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2013 the last is perhaps the best example that expresses Dr. Fischer\u2019s spirit.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, both editions also have the same caricature cartoon of Dr. Fischer as the frontispiece. The cartoon is most probably by Edward F. Mottern or Alsfelder and shows Dr. Fischer as an artist:<\/p>\n

\"Caricature<\/a>

Close-up. The frontispiece of both Fischerisms<\/em> editions.
\u201cSoap in water\u201d seems to be an inside joke.
Notice also the flower in his left lapel.<\/p><\/div>\n

Both editions of Fischerisms<\/em> are not only a testament of his students\u2019 intense devotion but a record of his commentary on the philosophy of medicine. The book shows how he was viewed, but also how he taught and by extension, who he was as an individual.<\/p>\n

\"Fischer,<\/a>

Note written by Dr. Cecil Striker accompanying the original caricature:
\u201cMartin Fischer – Prof Physiology.
Probably the most inspiring professor.
Did not teach much physiology but was very provocative and a thrilling experience to be taught by him. All students were devote[d] to him.”<\/p><\/div>\u201cHis classroom lectures were unique; at times he stood at the lectern and occasionally paced back in forth in front of his display of Cantagalli Pharmacy Jars<\/a>, with the ever-present flower in his left lapel, the filtered light casting weird shadows through the stained glass windows<\/a> of the classroom, his somewhat ill-fitting dentures needing frequent adjustment\u2014all this on a backdrop to his world of wisdom<\/a> culled from years of experience in and out of medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Dr. Busam from \u201cMemories\u201d (about the Medical College Class of 1953)<\/p>\n

For more information, to view a collection, or for a tour of The Winkler Center, please call 558-5120 or email chhp@uc.edu to schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Nathan Hood Scientist, professor, author, artist \u2013 at the time of his death in 1962, the wealth of Dr. Martin H. Fischer\u2019s experiences had him regarded by some to be a kind of \u2018universal man.\u2019 Who was Dr. Martin … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[600,31,13,282],"tags":[768,770,656],"class_list":["post-27512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-special-collections-2","category-uc","category-uclibraries","category-winkler-center","tag-dr-martin-h-fischer","tag-fischerisms","tag-treasures-of-the-winkler-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27512\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/liblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}