Rouche Selection

After reading this selection I find myself both admiring Doctors and questioning them.

Dr. Henkin knew fully well that Zinc, at the time, was an experimental drug. And yet, he gave them to his patients. Did he even tell them it was an experimental drug, and hadn't been cleared?? On top of that, I can't believe that he lost track of his patients. Shouldn't a doctor, administering experimental drugs to patients, at the very least keep track of them?

I am also impressed that he was able to come up with the idea in the first place. Low zinc. Rudy went to five or six doctors all assuming mental issues or even tumor. Yet, when Rudy went to see Dr. Henkin, he was able to be helped. 

I find it a little weird that Dr. Henkin would administer a placebo in the place of a pill he already knew had worked to help others. Rudy, not coming to Dr. Henkin when symptoms started to return, is understandable. Rudy didn't want to disappoint Dr. Henkin. 

However, when Rudy did tell Dr. Henkin the symptoms had returned, I found my self a little annoyed if not angry at Dr. Henkin's response. If a doctor ever laughed at me for telling him my symptoms I would be furious. 

Some questions I have about this passage include:

Why did the doctors Rudy saw in the beginning continually ask Rudy whether he liked his work or not?

Why would the doctors tell Rudy to operate if there wasn't a tumor? I feel like the first doctor assumed, and when the second doctor called the first, I feel like he was influenced and then assumed the same. Much like a placebo pill, I feel like one doctor hearing another doctors reasoning could influence the other. 

"Why not?" Wouldn't a doctor at N.I.H. question something a little more before prescribing it? I would hope a doctor I see never just asked himself, "Oh why not, let's see what happens." It's a little messed up if you ask me.

Another question I had was in regards to Dr. Henkin. It said on page 259 that he had an appointment held since July 1969. I find this to be extremely interesting because Rudy's symptoms began in July 1969. Coincidence?