The Story of San Michele

Out of Hours BJGP Library: The Story of San Michele SAN MICHELE, THE QUEEN OF SWEDEN, ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE AND CHOLERA IN NAPLES John BS Brooks The Story of San Michele 4 Astbury View, Church Lane, North Rode, Axel Munthe Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 2PE, UK. John Murray, 2004, PB, 368pp, £10.99, E-mail: [email protected] 978-0719566998 he had first come to know in his youth. Munthe bought several properties in Capri and spent much of his leisure time there. He was a physician to royalty and in particular to Queen Victoria of Sweden with whom he had a long and close relationship over many years. He also treated the diplomatic circle, truth, much of the book is autobiographical the rich and famous in society, and, last as it is based on his life’s experiences but but not least, the poor to whom he usually he admits to using, in his own words,‘some waived his fee. technical tricks’, which means it is also part Munthe in his early years was influenced The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe fiction. Many of the chapters can be read as by the writings of Leo Tolstoy. The main was first published in 1929. It became a short stories and they provide a fascinating attraction was Tolstoy’s philosophy of hard worldwide bestseller and is one of the insight into a variety of medical problems of physical work combined with a simple life most widely translated books, with sales the time, for example, diphtheria and scarlet and reducing one’s needs. He was attracted numbering in the millions. Munthe fever, rabies, psychosomatic illnesses, and by Tolstoy’s unorthodox ideas on Christianity. himself said that being a bestseller is no cholera epidemics. Saint Francis of Assisi also appealed to him guarantee that a book is any good and this Axel Munthe was born in Sweden in because of the saint’s philosophy of love, in is up to posterity to decide. The novel has 1857 and he studied Medicine in Sweden, particular for the birds and the poor. universal appeal as Munthe was a very Montpellier, and Paris. He is said to have Munthe suffered from tuberculosis accomplished storyteller, and it’s of interest studied under the famous neurologist as a young man, and insomnia and to doctors because of his insight into the Charcot in Paris, although his time there hypochondriasis most of his life. His private human condition, covering both mental may have been rather briefer than that life was sad because he had two failed and physical illnesses. Not only a good described in his novel. It does seem, marriages and his sons lived with his mother, read, it also contains many useful concepts however, that because of this encounter and he had recurring problems with his and ideas for the present generation of he developed an interest in psychological vision. Yet, despite all these obstacles he practising doctors. The book also gives medicine. After his hospital experience he maintained an enthusiasm for life combined some historical insight into the practice started a private practice in Paris. Within a with enormous generosity. Charity and giving of medicine in the late 19th century when few years he grew tired of Paris and moved money to the poor and institutions were also Charcot and Pasteur, among others, were to Rome, taking up residence at 26 Piazza very important to Munthe — though he did making great scientific progress. Munthe di Spagna next to the Spanish Steps, in the once comment wryly that charity and vanity also wrote extensively about our journey’s same house once occupied by John Keats. are twins! In his will the Villa San Michele end as he was fascinated by death. It Now he was in Italy he could make was left to the Swedish state and it remains was not until he reached the age of 70, frequent visits to his beloved Capri, which a museum and a guest house for students. however, that he finally put his mind to Special provision was made for the protection writing this most unusual piece of work. A of migratory birds in Capri and also in Sweden review written soon after publication stated during his lifetime and after his death. that the book contained grim, drastic, and “… the chapters … In 1943 Munthe returned to Sweden for humorous images taken from an unusually provide a fascinating the last time, having worked for most of varied life that burn themselves into the his life abroad. He died peacefully after a memory. insight into a variety of stroke in the King of Sweden’s palace in The preface tells us that Henry James medical problems of the 1949, aged 91. told Munthe that writing was a good cure for insomnia. So, with poor vision and a time … diphtheria and John BS Brooks, typewriter he set about writing a book that scarlet fever, rabies, Retired GP, Congleton, Cheshire. must have been forming in his mind for many years. He describes The Story of San psychosomatic illnesses, Background reading: Jangfeldt B. Axel Munthe: the Michele as neither an autobiography nor as and cholera epidemics.” road to San Michele. London: IB Tauris, 2008. a memoir but occupying somewhere in no man’s land between the real and unreal. In DOI: 10.3399/bjgp16X684613 204 British Journal of General Practice, April 2016.

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