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March 1986 (Volume 64)
Quarterly Article
Lewis Thomas
Sep 9, 2026
Sep 2, 2026
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The iron lung was a temporizing-albeit practical and often valuable-device aimed not at the cause of disease, but at its results. We cannot wait for existing technologies in medicine to turn themselves into therapeutic insights: the cost would be too high and the risk too great. Rather, there is nothing else to rely on with confidence but basic research.
Author(s): Lewis Thomas
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Volume 64, Issue 1 (pages 30–33) Published in 1986
