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 »
Posted by in Object Focus Did you ever think that a tumor could contain hair, bone, and teeth? Well, a special kind of tumor known as teratoma can, and their appearance can be nightmare-inducing. “Teratos” is the Greek word for “monster,” so teratomas are essentially monster tumors (McRae). Despite the name, teratomas are usually benign and easy to treat once…Read more »
Posted by in Mental Health, Quackery (Image of a patient in a bath being spoon-fed by an on-duty nurse. Photo credit: Lensvid) Water has played a prominent role in religion for centuries and is referenced in the bible many times. It is no wonder that people once depended on water as a healing agent. In the middle ages there were…Read more »
Posted by in Mental Health, Modern A lot of people tend to think of abuse, neglect, and filth when they consider what an asylum was back in the day. Of course, there are instances where this interpretation stands completely accurate, but, for many patients, asylums were also seen as safe havens where they were cared for and understood. This post will…Read more »
Posted by in Quackery (Image Credit: Anomalies) Many people don’t realize that psychic surgery was an incredibly popular form of spiritual medicine in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States. Spiritual, or faith-based medicine has been around for centuries and the validity of it has been debated over for just as long. Psychic surgery, or bloodless surgery, is…Read more »
Posted by in Object Focus, Quackery The x-ray was discovered rather unexpectedly in a lab in Bovaria. In 1895, scientist Wilhelm Röntgen was conducting an experiment to see if cathode rays had the ability to pass through glass. He was mesmerized by the green light that was emitted and noticed that the beam could pass through most solid objects, all except…Read more »
Posted by in Quackery Uroscopy was one of the most popular diagnostic practices of the medieval world and many early civilizations observed that characteristics of urine changed in relation to the well-being of the body (Armstrong). The academic literate world believed that close examination of urine could provide clues regarding disease and other bodily ailments. The word uroscopy comes…Read more »
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 »
Posted by in Quackery Leprosy in Medieval Europe was a heavy burden to bear for those suffering from the disease. Even though scientists have a better understanding of what causes leprosy, it is still stigmatized in areas of the world today. In Medieval Europe, the official cause for Leprosy was unknown, partially due to the fact that microscopes would…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals A friend of mine brought up the name Alice Ball to me recently, and I decided to share a little bit of what I have learned since Alice Ball day has just passed (February 29). Alice Ball was born into a middle class family in 1892. In her college years she studied chemistry, receiving undergraduate…Read more »
Posted by in Object Focus The practice of eating dirt is known today as geophagy and it originates from antiquity. Eating dirt and clay was used as a cure for a number of ailments, but the most common were upset stomachs and poisoning. In 1581, Wendel Thumblardt of Germany was sentenced to death by hanging for a series of robberies…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals I have been reading a book lately from Rob Dunn entitled, The Man Who Touched His Own Heart, and came across a fascinating story that I wanted to share with you all here. This is the story of Doctor Daniel Hale Williams, a confident and talented man that not only saved lives but fought against racial…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals, Quackery The year was 1793 when the city of Philadelphia was struck by a yellow fever epidemic. Muddy swamps around the city served as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the insect responsible for transferring the virus. People began experiencing symptoms by late summer, and by October of that year, at least 500 people had already died (“On…Read more »
Posted by in Quackery Throughout history, many people believed that bad smells were directly linked to instances of illness and death. Cities were often overcrowded places with low sanitation standards, therefore, diseases could spread throughout these city centers fairly quickly. People began correlating the bad odors of the city with disease (Parker 121). By the 18th century, the discovery…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals (Laterally conjoined twins. Photo Credit: The Medical Book: From Witch Doctors to Robot Surgeons, 250 Milestones in the History of Medicine, pg 109). Conjoined twins, also referred to as Siamese twins, are very rare and typically only occur in 1 out of every 200,000 live births. Unlike ordinary twins, conjoined twins are physically connected to one…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals (Diagram of a human heart. Photo Credit: Medicine: The Definitive Illustrated History. ) Dwight Harken, aged 34, became lead surgeon at the 160th United States Army Hospital in 1944. His patients were countless wounded soldiers who were busy fighting on the beaches of Normandy (Hollingham 111-112). Dr. Harken was becoming a prominent chest surgeon, and…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals, Quackery (Carving of Mary Toft delivering rabbits published on 15 March, 1762. Below the picture is inscribed,”Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World.” Photo Credit: Pickover 113.) Mary Toft was a married English servant who became a press sensation overnight.…Read more »
Posted by in Quackery It is not surprising to learn that a wide variety of tests were developed throughout history in order to check if a woman was pregnant or not. Most tests were incredibly inaccurate, such as the Egyptian method of pouring a suspected woman’s urine on bags of wheat and barley. If the plant grew from the…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals Clint Hallam, on 23 September, 1998, became the recipient of the world’s first hand transplant. His original hand had been lost in a violent accident with a circular saw in 1984 while serving a sentence in prison (Hollingham 160). Clint was chosen by physicians to receive the hand transplant after having little success with…Read more »
Posted by in Individuals, Mental Health I came across an interesting story the other day that had sparked a lot of controversy in the medical ethics community and decided to take a moment and share it here with you all. Ashley X, a young girl who was born with a developmental brain condition known as static encephalopathy,(permanent and unchanging brain damage)…Read more »
Antiquated Antidotes 