Hippocrates and the oath of the heart
Girolamo Fracastoro, or the Doctor of the Future
Samuel Hahnemann and water on the brain
Charlotte Winslow, or the baby killer
Doctor Brinkleu, or the physician who lost his mouth
Henry Cotton, or the surgeon of neurosis

What a hodgepodge this world is, where doctors and researchers—serious and rigorous—rub shoulders with others who move from rigor to audacity, from seriousness to controversy, even to extravagant excess, pocketing ethics along the way. And yet, what a delight this mix of genres can be, sometimes allowing a far-fetched idea to open the door to major discoveries.

In fact, they all helped advance science— in every direction, or rather in every sense: forbidden ways, the wrong way, a sense of humor, common sense, sensationalism, one-way streets. As I discovered these unbelievable experiments and this unbridled imagination, I was reminded of André Malraux, our former Minister of Culture, who said that neither the scientist nor the artist can create without a touch of madness.