A Sharp Scalpel or a Mighty Pen The Legacy of A.J. Cronin
Adrian NăzneanHistory of medicine, no. 5, 2022
Article DOI: 10.21614/chirurgia.2792
Archibald Joseph Cronin was born in Cardross, which currently lies in the local authority of Argyll and Bute, a few miles from Glasgow. Training to become a physician, Cronin graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1919 with a degree in medicine and with the hope of becoming a surgeon.
Learning eagerly and constantly, working hard towards his desire of owning a practice in London's fashionable Harley Street, Cronin's ambition was shattered by a diagnosis of duodenal ulcer which forced him to take a break.
Returning to his childhood dream of writing a novel, he published in "Hatter's castle" 1933, the success of which was so immense that Cronin never returned to the medical field.
This paper aims to highlight a few aspects of the writer's life and literary output in relation to his medical background.
Learning eagerly and constantly, working hard towards his desire of owning a practice in London's fashionable Harley Street, Cronin's ambition was shattered by a diagnosis of duodenal ulcer which forced him to take a break.
Returning to his childhood dream of writing a novel, he published in "Hatter's castle" 1933, the success of which was so immense that Cronin never returned to the medical field.
This paper aims to highlight a few aspects of the writer's life and literary output in relation to his medical background.
Keywords: A.J. Cronin, citadel, surgery, National Health Service, medical practice
