I am quite fond of whimsical books, a fact that I have mentioned many times in my musings, and this is evident in some of the books that are acquired. I found such a book last month, referred to in this musing’s title as “Strange”, but I would go so far as to call it bizarre. Enough to become a musing topic. But today, as I gathered up material for this musing, things just got weird. All centered around an outstanding, brilliant Canadian medical man. I showed this book to Stuart, a retired doctor and great friend, who was visiting this afternoon, and I asked what he thought of the book – “Odd” is what he said.
Inside Mora; by Stanley C. Skoryna; Foreword by Edward A. Morrison; Home Museum Press, Yardley, PA, 1982. Illustrated by Jerry Eliot. First printing. (Warm presentation inscription from the author.)
From the blurb - The author, Dr. Stanley C. Skoryna, is Director of the Gastro-Intestinal Research Laboratory at McGill University in Montreal. He was the 1957 Medallist in Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He has published over 150 scientific papers and several books on different topics related to the digestive system.
Then today, I focused on this piece from the blurb – One of this major achievements was the realization of a Medical Expedition to Easter Island in 1964-65, supported by the World Health Organization. It was the first comprehensive study of an isolated population carried out in their natural habitat, which apart from its scientific value gave impetus to other projects in underdeveloped areas of the world.
And here is the weird part. Several years ago I acquired a book about a Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island, lead by Thor Heyerdahl. The great thing about our copy of this book was that it returned to Easter Island on Dr. Skoyuna's mission, and everyone on the expedition, including the crew, signed the book. Story in musing called Easter Island Duo. I have since sold the book to a man from Britain, who travels regularly to Easter Island, and he donated it to the Library there. The book is gone but I have pictures:
Look at the third line of signatures – Stanley C. Skoryna, Director of the Expedition.
Now let’s get to our featured book.
Inside Mara, a work of fiction, is the story of a doctor and a student of biology who are faced with stomach bleeding in a giant woman, who landed in a space vehicle near a hamlet in a remote rural area. Unable to stop the hemorrhage they decide to enter her digestive tract, in order to tie off the bleeding vessel.
(The origin of the idea for this book may have been the 1966 movie Fantastic Voyage where the plot was when a blood clot renders a scientist comatose after an assassination attempt, a submarine and its crew are shrunk and injected into his bloodstream in order to save him. The movie won two Oscars and starred Raquel Welch, Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Edmond O'Brien and Raquel Welch.
Back to the book...
Although they succeed in their task inside Mora, they cannot return to the outside world by the same route. They are forced to proceed downwards and discover that the presumable Martian is riddled with many diseases including gallstones, inflammations, cancer and…hemorrhoids. Though the setting is fictional, the actual function and form of the digestive system is fully explained in the course of the story, in easily understandable language.
In addition to Eliot’s drawings there are colour plates, depicting common digestive diseases.
Dr. Skoryna lectures the reader on the bad things we do to our body, especially the digestive system, and he created a very nice organization chart:
And to increase the oddness level of this book, we also have music:
Yes, do look up the big words – I did.
And thus ends the tale of a highly respected medical man who would have fit in very well with the geniuses comprising Monty Python.