ABSTRACT
The research in which the physicians of the Metabolic Group were engaged constituted one of their primary means for coming to terms with some of the problems they faced. Through the studies they undertook, the members of the Group hoped to learn more about the metabolism of the human body and the nature of various metabolic and endocrine diseases, and also to develop better methods for conducting their investigations and dealing with the disorders which were their special concern. To begin with, the physicians of the Metabolic Group found deep personal and professional gratification simply in being associated with one another. The particular situation which gave the members of the Group the best opportunity to consult with one another about their mutual problems and to express how they felt about them were the Evening Rounds. Other jokes characteristic of the Metabolic Group centered around the moral ambiguities and conflicts that conducting research on patients entailed.
