Approach to death in the Obstetric-Gynaecological Institute of Milan at the beginning of the 20th Century. Reflections on the doctor’s care in accompanying human dying

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

This work aims to examine the approach to death in the Obstetric-Gynaecological Institute of Milan at the beginning of the 20th century, through an analysis of the medical records of women who died there during their hospitalisation. These documentary sources offer a picture of how death was experienced, assisted and accompanied during this time period. Doctors of the time were committed not only to treating the sick body, but also to offering emotional and empathic assistance to the suffering and dying person. Despite their limited tools and the scarcity of effective therapeutic treatments, these doctors, through their presence, sought to alleviate suffering and safeguard the dignity of the dying. The women who turned to the Obstetric-Gynaecological Institute of Milan for treatment were faced with complex pathologies that, often, required difficult surgical procedures. The post-operative course of these procedures was often characterized by severe complications, and those of an infectious nature proved to be the most complex to manage. The historical analysis of these medical records offers a lesson for contemporary medicine, highlighting the importance of keeping the focus on the person, even before treatment of the disease, because the care and accompaniment of the suffering and dying cannot be overlooked. Rediscovering the history of medicine and its roots allows us to restore the sense of humanity to care and to face illness and death with compassion and empathy, allowing the echo of the doctors who preceded us to resonate in our steps.