Rhonda J. Moore
Editor

2009

Two thousand years ago St. Paul called his painful affliction ‘‘the thorn in the flesh’’ and a ‘‘messenger from Satan’’ which only God could remove. St. Augustine echoed this sentiment stating, ‘‘the greatest evil is physical pain.’’ The concept of pain as punishment for one’s sins lasted for centuries and evolved into a ‘‘warning’’ of impending doom. Historically, attempts at defining and quantifying pain have been akin to trying to control and corral a herd of feral housecats.