Lili Elbe, born as Einar Wegener, became one of the first people to undergo experimental gender reassignment surgery
Lili’s Right to Life: The Birth of Lili Elbe
Posted by in Individuals, Mental Health, Modern Category: Individuals
Posted by in Individuals, Mental Health, Modern Goat Testicles for Virility: John R. Brinkley
Posted by in Horror, Individuals Between 1917 and the mid-1930s, John Brinkley made a fortune on his “revolutionary” surgical procedure which involved placing goat testicles into men’s scrotums to cure infertility and improve virility. What a BAAAHHH-d idea
The Colorado Brown Stain: Fluorosis
Posted by in Individuals, Modern Let’s talk about how the brown stains on the teeth of Colorado Springs residents helped reform cavity prevention.
Performing a Cesarean Section on His Own Wife: Dr. Jesse Bennett
Posted by in Horror, Individuals Historically, most c-sections were performed for one main purpose, to save the baby. Mothers were expected to die from shock or complications resulting from infection.
Excavating Bladder Stones with Knitting Needles
Posted by in Horror, Individuals The Lithotomy was described as far back as the 1st century A.D. by Greek physicians. The procedure only required three main tools, the knife, a hook, and a pair of forceps.
Remembering the Merit of Women: Elizabeth Thorn
Posted by in Individuals, Series While the battle raged on around them, many of the women living in Gettysburg in 1863 left their cellars and found ways to courageously serve humanity.
Losing Their Left Legs: The Walker Brothers of North Carolina
Posted by in Individuals, Series What is the likelihood that two brothers would be forced to undergo amputation of their left legs in the same spot just a few weeks apart from one another?
The wound That Took 50 Years to Kill Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Posted by in Individuals, Series Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the infamous college professor turned war hero, helped advance catheterization methods after he was wounded at Petersburg in 1864.
Bloomer Suits and a Medal of Honor: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker
Posted by in Individuals, Series Mary Edwards Walker, a progressive woman from New York, managed to kick down barriers throughout her lifetime, and she did so wearing bloomer suits.
Dead Except to Pain: Phantom Limb Phenomenon
Posted by in Horror, Individuals An estimated 60,000+ amputations occurred over the course of the Civil War, leaving men maimed and forever physically altered. Due to the high levels of amputations that took place in field hospitals across the country, it was during this time that medical professionals began really documenting instances of phantom limb.
Remembering Jonathan Letterman
Posted by in Individuals Dr. Letterman’s story, despite his importance to the field of military medicine, has been largely, forgotten. I hope that this post changes that.
The Devil with a Cyanide Syringe
Posted by in Horror, Individuals Petiot was arrested in 1944 and admitted to killing at least 60 people.
A Spoonful of Starvation: Linda Burfield Hazzard
Posted by in Horror, Individuals Like most people, I would have a terribly hard time giving up tasty foods and replacing them with a soup-based fasting routine. I was always taught that healthy foods fuel the body and keep everything running properly. In today’s post I will be putting the spotlight on Mrs. Linda Burfield Hazzard, a woman who gained…Read more »
Doctor H.H. Holmes: The Owner of Hell’s Hotel
Posted by in Horror, Individuals “I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer no more than a poet can help the inspiration to sing.”
Cancer Quackery at the Crescent Hotel
Posted by in Horror, Individuals, Quackery Come with us as we explore the curious history of the notorious Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
“Living Babies in Incubators”: A Lifesaving Sideshow Attraction
Posted by in Individuals, Modern Baby incubators have been able to save hundreds of thousands of young lives. The story of how incubators went from being used in zoos…to sideshows… and finally in hospitals is as fascinating and mind-boggling as it sounds.
Christmas Disease: The Little Boy whose Blood Would Not Clot
Posted by in Individuals, Modern Christmas disease, also known as hemophilia B is a rare genetic disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly. Learn more about the first boy to be diagnosed with Hemophilia B.
Joseph Merrick: “The Elephant Man”
Posted by in Individuals In this post we will talk about what elephantiasis is and how it is treated today. We will also look at the life of Joseph Merrick, one of the most famous individuals who struggled with the disease in the 19th century.
Cow Pox Pustules and Vaccines
Posted by in Individuals, Modern Vaccines have been able to save countless lives from viruses that were once capable of wiping out entire cities. The idea of immunization has been around for hundred of years, but it did not begin being used on a large scale until the end of the 16th century. For example, Monks were known to drink…Read more »
You Swallowed What?!
Posted by in Individuals We all remember the temptation we felt as young children to put foreign objects in our mouths. Babies explore their surroundings with their mouths and this behavior can lead to some awful moments of panic. Dr. Chevalier Jackson (1865-1958) became one of the world’s leading experts on extracting foreign objects from the airways of children…Read more »
Antiquated Antidotes 