Richard C. Cabot, M.D. (1868-1939) A review of the life and legacy of the founder of Medical Social Work By Tammy Hughes and Connie Applewhite SW 3200: Social Welfare Institutions Dr. Deborah Whitley
Richard C. Cabot is the father of
Medical Social Work. “He was a physician, philosopher, educator, and social
work pioneer. He was a meticulous scientific observer and record keeper, a
talented speaker, a prolific writer, and an outspoken commentator on medical,
moral, and ethical issues. (Chu, 2007).” At Harvard University, he taught
clinical medicine, philosophy and social ethics. The defining
moment in the life of Richard Cabot came when he assumed responsibility
for the care of his brother, Ted, who was suffering from the effects
of untreated diabetes.
Richard C. Cabot was born May 21, 1868 in Brookline, Massachusetts to James and
Elizabeth Cabot. He was the fifth son of seven. Cabot's father
studied philosophy at three different schools, published articles, and gave
lectures. Cabot grew up in a nurtured and creative home. Early
on he wanted to become either a Unitarian minister or a philosopher. He
would eventually combine the two within his medical calling and ultimately pioneer
medical social work out of his focus on medical ethics. When Richard Cabot took over the
care of his ailing brother, his attempts to alleviate Ted's pain from
renal failure and infections proved ineffective. So moved was
Richard Cabot by the continual suffering of his brother whom he dearly loved
that Dr. Cabot would seek and receive his father's permission to
euthanize his older brother Ted. Ted, however, was not told by
his brother or anyone else that "his brother would hold a cloth soaked in
chloroform over his mouth until he died. This event was fundamental in
forming Richard Cabot's sense of responsibility that grounded both his
work as a physician and a philosopher.This
type of radical responsibility is not usually the topic of conversation for
clinical ethicists, despite the fact that it is at the root of being a virtuous
medical practitioner" (Garchar and Kaag, 2013, p. 554).