The life of a pirate was a difficult one. Violence, loneliness, sickness, and exhaustion just came with the territory. Ships did what they could to keep their crews healthy, but the task proved challenging.
Tag: Surgery
Teething Babies and the Absurd Practice of Gum Lancing
Today, parents dread the period of teething because it brings with it a fussy baby, but at least our understanding of infant health has developed enough over the past decades that we reach for a cold teether rather than a blade.
Banded Bellies: Exploring Bariatric Surgery
It is estimated that 250,000 weight-loss operations take place each year in the United States.
The Ilizarov Method: Limb-Lengthening Surgery
The bone is stretched a small amount each day until the desired height is reached, then the bone is allowed to fuse back together.
The Cries of the Unheard: Forced Nazi Sterilization
The Nazi Party subscribed itself to pseudoscientific ideas regarding genetics in order to push their racial ideologies to the brink of extremism.
Chainsaw Babies and symphysiotomies
During the late 18th century, the chainsaw was utilized by doctors during complicated childbirths.
Lili’s Right to Life: The Birth of Lili Elbe
Lili Elbe, born as Einar Wegener, became one of the first people to undergo experimental gender reassignment surgery
The Red Market: Illegal Organ Trafficking
Although science has reached far beyond the capabilities of our wildest imaginations, it is still not yet possible for laboratories to perfectly replicate the intricate inner workings of our bodies, forcing us to rely on human donors for the gift of life.
Goat Testicles for Virility: John R. Brinkley
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
Surgery Without Anesthesia: Babies Can’t Feel Pain?
Prior to the 1980s, many medical professionals believed that babies could not feel pain, therefore, medical procedures performed on infants took place without the use of anesthesia.
Performing a Cesarean Section on His Own Wife: Dr. Jesse Bennett
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
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.
The Aftermath of a Mistake: Wrong-Site Surgery
Wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-patient surgical mishaps, although infrequent, do still occur in the 21st century.
The wound That Took 50 Years to Kill Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
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
Mary Edwards Walker, a progressive woman from New York, managed to kick down barriers throughout her lifetime, and she did so wearing bloomer suits.
Serving Wounded Blue and Grey: Pavilion Hospitals in the Civil War
No one was prepared for the kind of chaos that the war would bring. Medical professionals everywhere were quickly overwhelmed.
Doctor Got Your Tongue?: Quack Stutter Cure
You may be surprised to discover that the 18th and 19th centuries had a rather barbaric approach to treating a stutter.
Medical Mishaps: Retained Surgical Items
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.
The Ugly Impact of Paraffin Wax
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.
Let ‘er Rip: The Clockwork Saw
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 »