Smoking in the hospital and a question about Julia

[arashi]

Watching boxset 3 as I do a bit of housecleaning.

Willie's in a coma and he's been in an oxygen tent all night (he snapped out of the coma quick n'est-ce pas?) Anyway, he's just had surgery, had a 1 in 100 chance of survival, and Julia lights up a cigarette in his room.

I swear I burst out laughing.

Don't you think that Julia, being a medical doctor (or actually a psychiatrist? I'm never quite clear on where her degree of medecine lies, other than prescriptions) would know not to light up and smoke in a room where less than an hour before the occupant was in an oxygen tent?!

So what does Julia's medical degree cover? Do you normally get a degree in physical medecine when you get a degree in psychological medecine?

[Julia99]

well what happens in reality and on this show  . . .it was made pretty clear Julia has an MD. .. now if there is a Ph.D. or whatelse along with that. . its vague. .i've seen her referred to be "others" as a hemotologist and serotologist or something like that. .though Maggie went to Wyndcliffe for mental disturbences (and young Amy) ..you have to suspect Maggie physically was not well too . ..it's never clear if Wyndcliffe is merely a psychiatric hospital or a private hospital with a reknowned psychiatric wing. . ??  But ole Jules dispenses drugs only like an MD could.  ..

also. . i am curious about the smoking too .. you could smoke in hospitals at this time . . but i dont think around oxygen tents.. ?

[victoriawinters]

Normally, you don't smoke around oxygen tents because you might cause an explosion.  One has to have an M.D. to dispense medication.   The psychologist is a PhD and a psychiatrist is an MD.  Then, there are psychopharmacologists.  Those are my favorite kind of doctors.   Perhaps, Julia was one of those with a sub-specialty in Hematology.

It looks to me like Wyndcliffe is a psychiatric hospital since it has bars on the windows and patients are locked in their rooms.

[Midnite]

That scene drives me nuts.  Back then, it wasn't unusual to see smoking while oxygen was in use, but not around an oxygen tent.  That's a tremendous amount of trapped gas.  They used to hang "no smoking" signs whenever a tent was in use, and a doctor would have known better.

[Luciaphile]

While there was smoking in hospitals back then, one did not, I repeat did not, light up anything in the presence of an oxygen tent. Or if they did, they probably didn't come out of it unscathed.

[MsCriseyde]

I think Julia was the all-purpose doctor sort of like Stokes was the all-purpose college professor. Apparently, her MD made her a specialist in whatever was convenient for the plot at the time just as Stokes' position at the university made him a specialist in anything involving the occult or any fancy book learnin'.

I don't remember the oxygen tent scene, but I do get a charge out of seeing Julia take someone's blood pressure in lightning fast time, often with the cuff and no stethoscope. I suppose that tends to pass without notice now that we have these fancy electric gizmos you can buy at any drug store that only require the cuff.

[AndreDuPres]

Oh, I love that episode!  Every time I walk into a hospital, I always joke with my mom about lighting up a cigarette just like our favourite doctor!  I always thought Julia was either a blood specialist (like it implied in the movie--but then again, the movie isn't the show) or a psychiatrist.  At any rate, she sure knew how to hand out those sedatives!  Professor Stokes...he mentions his interest in the occult time and time again, so perhaps he has a degree in religion and/or philosophy?  Maybe history?  Who knows?

[Luciaphile]

She'd have to have a MD to prescribe anything. It would be super super rare to have a doctor who works as a shrink (running a mental  hospital no less) and also specializes in something like hematology.

My favorite Julia medical inepititude is watching her declare someone dead only to have them pop up very much alive.

[onyx_treasure]

     I like MsCriseyde idea that Julia is a specialist in anything the writers need at the time.  My favorite Julia gaff is every time she gives Barnabas(or anyone for that matter) an injection she winces.  The actor getting the shot should wince not Julia.

[Gothick]

Bizarrely, I can't quote chapter and verse, but on the 1968 Ron Barry radio interview he asks everyone to say something about the character he/she plays on the show (Jonathan says something like "I sucked blood for a living until recently when Dr. Hoffman cured me--thank you, dear," and he's obviously turning to smile at Grayson--even though of course it was Dr Lang who cured him).

Anyhow, Grayson starts off and says something like "I play a Doctor.  She's a Doctor who does everything from hand you an aspirin to... brain surgery! and psychoanalysis too! Yeah, your average all around ... Doctor," punctuated by a volley of giggles.  I just love hearing her acknowledge the absurdity of what they had her doing. And there's another notorious interview in which she complains:  "Julia's *such* a straight-ass."  Hilarious!

Somebody years ago wrote this hysterically funny thing about Dr. Hoffman being jailed for medical malpractice and incompetence.  I think it was part of a Collins Chriistmas letter, or something.  It was so perfect.

G.

[Midnite]

In the 70s I knew a doc who felt unfulfilled as an OB/GYN so he returned to school and became a board certified psychologist.  Fans often joke about Julia's specialization in both hematology and psychiatry, but I don't find it so odd.  It's her surgical skills that seem to require a total suspension of disbelief.

I have a vague memory of once seeing Julia injecting Barnabas' arm with the needle pointing toward his hand, but I can't swear to it.

[Luciaphile]

One of my favorites is when she's got a bottle of medicine or something and she goes to put it in her medical bag, and it won't fit. So Grayson blithely stuffs it in there, bottle about three inches too high for the bag, and she strides on out of the scene.

I also remember years ago writing a story where I had someone find out that she'd failed medical ethics in med school. Someone took me to task on that. Like anyone seriously taught medical ethics; what could I possibly be thinking?. I backed down. And then what do I find where I work now? Of course, they teach medicall ethics!

[McTrooper]

Maybe Julia sent in enough box tops and got her very own diploma.

Hehe, but all joking aside the character either must have had at least some schooling or she's a very good con artist.
Con Artist.  Wouldn't that be a clever plot twist?
[If anyone want's to use that idea go right ahead.  It might make an interesting fan fic.  ]

[Raineypark]

My favorite Julia medical inepititude is watching her declare someone dead only to have them pop up very much alive.

Oh, mine too!!  Julia misdiagnosed more dead bodies than the last act of Hamlet. 

[arashi]

Maybe Julia sent in enough box tops and got her very own diploma.

Hehe, but all joking aside the character either must have had at least some schooling or she's a very good con artist.
Con Artist.  Wouldn't that be a clever plot twist?
[If anyone want's to use that idea go right ahead.  It might make an interesting fan fic.  ]

Now there is an interesting idea, and one that's not entirely unpluasible. Anyone hear of Harold Shipman?