This article is a cornucopia of names of physician-writers and facts about them. Since many of them are relatively little-known, the article provides entry into the work of some authors with whom one might not be familiar. For example, Mikhail Bulgakov, whose novels have only recently been widely read in the West, also wrote a number of stories and sketches based on his medical practice in 1916-1918. Thus, the list of references (166 citations) is an excellent resource. Unfortunately, the essay itself is awkwardly written and poorly organized.