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 »
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.”
Posted by in Horror, Individuals, Quackery Come with us as we explore the curious history of the notorious Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
Posted by in Quackery You may be surprised to discover that the 18th and 19th centuries had a rather barbaric approach to treating a stutter.
Posted by in Modern Rodents have assisted with everything from drug research to diseases and scientists, with the help of these four-legged creatures, have expanded the potential of medicine far beyond what we once thought was possible. Take for example, earmouse.
Posted by in Mental Health, Quackery Despite the fact that Phrenology became rather controversial, it is important to note the cultural impact it did have in the years of its popularity throughout both Europe and America.
Even with modern counting methods and technologies used to keep track of tools, retained surgical items (RSI) are a unique surgical complication that still occurs, although rarely, to this day.
Posted by in Modern Native American medicine represents a harmonious mixture of physical remedies and spirituality which, when used in conjunction, were thought to develop a well-balanced method of healing. Although customs varied across nations, Native American medicine took much of it’s influence from the natural world and has had a lasting impact on the field of modern medicine.
Paraffin wax was commonly used in breast augmentations, as a wrinkle filler, and for nose jobs. Unfortunately, the people who got paraffin wax injections were often left with much more to worry about than the shape of their noses.
Nowadays we are well aware of the dangers involved with smoking. Despite this, cigarettes were once recommended by medical professionals as valid treatments for a variety of complications…including asthma.
Posted by in Horror Almost everyone has heard of the Salem witch trials. Could these events have been caused by moldy cereal grains?
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.
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.
Posted by in Quackery Creeped out by insects? Then you may want to skip this one! We will discuss how ants can be used to stitch wounds shut!
Posted by in Horror Being buried alive is a fate worse than death, and in a time before medical science developed sophisticated methods for testing if someone was actually dead, premature burial was a common occurrence.
Posted by in Quackery In the 18th century a common practice in resuscitation was to blow tobacco smoke up the unconscious individual’s rear end.
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.
Posted by in Modern Ambulances did not always look like the ones we see today, large rectangular vehicles with flashing sirens. As with most things, the ambulance changed little by little over the course of many years. Perhaps one of the strangest facts about the history of emergency transportation services was that funeral homes use to be the primary…Read more »
Posted by in Object Focus What is a Scarificator? Bloodletting remains to be one of the oldest and far-reaching medical practices of all time. Before the development of the spring-loaded scarificator, veins in a patient’s arms and neck were cut into. The procedure as a whole was extremely slow and painful (patients probably didn’t smile like paintings would lead you…Read more »
Posted by in Object Focus, Quackery The clockwork saw is a fascinating, yet little-known invention that never made it past the prototype phase. Developed by WHB Winchester (1816-1901), the clockwork saw was a hand-wound amputation device. The surgeon would crank the handle tight and then let go, causing the blade to spin rapidly. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the saw was not…Read more »
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