CMH staff have been regular contributors to an occasional series of essays in The Lancet on ‘the art of medicine’. November 2010 sees the publication of an essay jointly authored by the Centre’s directors which reflects upon the idea of ‘intimacy’ in relation to clinical practice. This essay makes use of Corinne Saunders’ expertise in medieval romance accounts of healing in which deep attention to the wounds of the injured is crucial, to re-consider ideas of presence, watching and sensitivity to the sick as important aspects of the ‘cool intimacy’ of clinical encounters. Jane’s paper ‘The Dangerous Practice of Empathy’ was published in The Lancet here.