Medical ClowningClowns are not just the stuff of backyard childrens parties anymore. These days, clown doctors see patientsespecially childrento introduce humor and imagination into an anxiety filled and painful experience. The origins of medical clowning can be traced to the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit at the Infants and Childrens Hospital of New York, established about thirty years ago. Since that time, the practice has developed extensively and medical clowns