Muscular dystrophy. . . was never seen until Duchenne described it in the 1850s. By 1860, after his … - Oliver Sacks

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It is always useful, you see, to subject the past life of reform politicians to rather inquisitive research.

Oliver Sacks

Muscular dystrophy. . . was never seen until Duchenne described it in the 1850s. By 1860, after his original description, many hundreds of cases had been recognised and described, so much so that Charcot said: 'How is it that a disease so common, so widespread, and so recognisable at a glance - a disease which has doubtless always existed - how is it that it is recognised only now? Why did we need M. Duchenne to open our eyes?'

Eye, Needs, Disease, Open, Existed, Dystrophy

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There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate - the genetic and neural fate - of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.

Death, Fate, Filled, Genetic, Life, Live

Music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion. It can persuade us to buy something, or remind us of our first date. It can lift us out of depression when nothing else can. It can get us dancing to its beat. But the power of music goes much, much further. Indeed, music occupies more areas of our brain than language does-humans are a musical species.

Brain, Dancing, Heights, Moving, Musical, Species

In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life.

Anatomy, Anatomy And Physiology, Biology, Disease, Gain, Life

To live on a day-to-day basis is insufficient; we need to transcend, transport, escape; we need meaning, understanding, and explanation; we need to see over-all patterns in our lives. We need hope, the sense of a future; the freedom to get beyond ourselves. . . in states of mind that allow us to rise above our immediate surroundings and see the beauty and value of the world we live in.

Basis, Explanation, Mind, Needs, Sense, Understanding

Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.

Adventure, Animal, Beautiful, Planet