FAITH AND MEDICINE

The doctor's path to faith is probably everyone's own. I think that the belief of the doctor can be formed only if the doctor is completely, with all his soul, immersed in medicine and the experiences of his patients. Taking upon himself, absorbing with his heart all the difficult and tragic moments of his work related to the treatment of the sick, he enslavingly begins to think about the emergence of diseases, their development, healing and death, not only from the point of view of medical science, but also from the point of view of spiritual perception of the problems of medicine. After all, it is in medicine, as nowhere more vividly, that or other human qualities manifest themselves, both as a patient and as a doctor himself. Being in the thick of human suffering, accompanying his patients, using all his scientific knowledge, the doctor often sees the shameless science, and on the other hand - the power of the human spirit, which is able to overcome death and save life. The doctor himself is capable of unusual achievements, reaching high degrees of compassion, and turning for 

How did this journey begin? Probably, it began gradually and unknowingly when it was necessary in the practical work of the doctor to make sure in weak efficiency of usual medical therapy which in extreme cases can save the sick life, but in the remote prospect cannot heal from illness. Practically, modern medicine does not cure its patients, but only maintains their lives at a certain level, condemning the patient to a lifetime of medication. This doom pushed me towards psychotherapy as a method of treatment, not using pharmacological drugs, but influencing the patient with the power of the spirit of a doctor-psychotherapist. Many years working as a doctor-psychotherapist, I was convinced of the power of my mental impact and the ability to heal the sick. However, the more years I worked, the more I met the difficult, neglected and doomed, in terms of the official medicine of the sick, from whom it was easier to refuse than to treat, seeing their sad perspective.

However, in most cases, I could not refuse the help of the sick, because according to them I was their last hope for recovery. In such cases, it is simply impossible to refuse. I very often had to take on doomed patients, I had to look for new receptions of psychological impact on illnesses and support of the spirit of the patient, I often visited feelings of my own weakness before a terrible illness, but stubbornness and desire to help gave me new strength and I fought to the end, and much more often, than other doctors, my patients recovered, returning to a full life. After I had achieved amazing recovery results, I wondered if I, a simple man, could cope with such a serious illness myself, and gradually began to conclude that there was some force that in a difficult moment helps me not to lose faith in achieving a positive result, the same power strengthened my spirit and guided my thinking 
in the right direction. Sometimes, during a psychotherapy session, there was a feeling that "something" was behind my back and that "something" felt even physically, skin. Analyzing many cases of recovery of hopeless patients, I came to the conclusion that God himself helps me, for I do a godly deed, healing the sick and returning them to life. And then came a new appreciation of my personality as a psychotherapist, if earlier when I treated a patient, I considered it my personal achievement, now I think it is the achievement of the highest spiritual forces (God), and I just perform the mission assigned to myself - to heal the sick. This mission is my cross, which I carry throughout my life, feeling the weight of this burden, and I would not be able to survive this whole journey without receiving the help of the Lord. In order to receive spiritual support from the Lord, it is necessary to try to live according to his basic principles not only in the medical aspect, but also at the personal and household level, which is no doubt not so easy in modern conditions.

Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (1810-1881) outstanding surgeon and anatomist. Orthodox philosopher S.L. Frank spoke of him - "rare, hardly the only type of thinker in Russia who is equally animated by the pathos of scientific knowledge, and the pathos of religious thought."

Sergey Petrovich Botkin (17.09.1832-24.12.1889), RussianTherapist, founder of the largest school of Russian clinicians. He described the case of healing by God's will: -In 1884 the young princess Z.M.Yusupova fell ill with infection of blood in a heavy form. The doctors couldn't do anything. Fr. John of Kronstadt was invited. The famous professor S.P.Bivkin, coming out in vain to the priest, only said: "Help us!" - and in a shameless lowered his hands. Fr. John put his hand on the patient's head, and she calmed down. Then the priest dropped to his knees, next to him was the husband of the patient, and they began to pray, long, hard. A few days later, John came again, this time with the Holy Gifts. He took the sick and she fell asleep; and when she woke up , she was feeling entirely healthy. 

S.P. Bovkin excitedly said: "No, we did not help here, we did not..."

Botkin Eugene Sergeevich, 1865-1918, the son of a prominent Russian scientist Botkin S.P., a famous doctor, privat-docent of the Military Medical Academy, since 1909, life-medic of the royal family, shared with her her tragic participation in the basement of the Ipatyevsky house.

His statement about the attitude of faith - "In general, if" faith without deeds is dead, "then" deeds "without faith can exist, and if any of us join in deeds and faith, then it is only by the special mercy of God"; "This also justifies my last decision, when I did not hesitate to leave my children orphans to fulfill my doctor's duty to the end, as Abraham did not hesitate at the request of God to sacrifice his only son."

E. S. Botkin was destined to become the last Russian life doctor. After the February Revolution and the arrest of the royal family, the Provisional Government offered Botkin a choice - to stay with his more recently 

 regal patients or leave them. Before the same choice later put him and the Bolsheviks. Their doctor replied: "I gave the king my honest word to stay with him as long as he lived." Then, in his last letter, he admitted that his mental powers strengthen the Word of the Lord: "The sufferer will be saved to the end" (Matt 10:22).

Filatov, Vladimir Petrovich (27 Feb. 1875 - February 28 1956) - Soviet ophthalmologist, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (since 1939) and acts. Ch. Acad. med. sciences of the USSR (since 1944). Hero Socialistic. Labor (1950)

Filatov's student academician Puchkovskaya recalls - "and yet he never hid that he believed in God. I want to notice: in it surprisingly combined materialism of the scientist-physician and religiosity. Vladimir Petrovich believed in the spiritual beginning. I remember once accompanying Vladimir Petrovich and his spouse Varvara Vasilyevna to the church of Adrian and Natalia. We stopped the Easter service, and then walked into the morning along the deserted French Boulevard... "

Archiepiscope Luke (in the world Valentin Feliksovich Voino-Yasenetsky; April 27 (May 9) 1877, Kerch - June 11, 1961, Simferopol) - an outstanding Russian surgeon and spiritual writer, bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church; since April 1946 - Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea. Laureate of the Stalin Prize of the first degree (1946).
Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church 
in the host of new martyrs and proselytes of the Russian for universal veneration in 2000.

A doctor who knows the anatomy of a human body brilliantly, and a clergyman who believes that a soul is placed in the heart.

From the memories - "It is unexpected for everyone, before starting the operation, Voino-Yasenetsky crossed, crossed the assistant, the operating room sister and the patient. He's always done it lately, regardless of the patient's nationality and beliefs. Once after the cross banner of the sick - nationally Tatar - said to the surgeon: "I'm Muslim. Why do you cross me? " The answer followed: "Though religions are different, and God is one. Under God all are one. "

Saying great things about medicine and doctors:

To be the happy happiness of others is the true happiness and earthly ideal of the life of anyone who dedicates himself to medical science.

N. I. Pirogov

In the simplicity of the doctor's behavior, one of his precious qualities is concluded.
D.I. Pisarev

Bad doctor, after visiting which the patient does not feel better.
G.A. Zakharyin

The doctor can have public recognition talent, be able to capture the finest details of his appointments, and all this will remain fruitless if he does not have the ability to subdue and subject himself to the soul of the sick.
V.V. Veresaev

A man has the right to be a bad artist or carpenter, but he has no right to be a bad doctor.

V. Y. Danilevsky