The mystery of the poisonous cheese
In 1835 the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal published a series of articles about cheese. For several months New England […]
Mysterious illnesses
September 2015
Bewildering research
Le hundred-up club
In August 1895 the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph reported the results of an unusual survey: A census of
Bewildering research
Nutmegs is the best spice for students
In 1584 the Tudor physician Thomas Cogan published The Haven of Health, a guide to maintaining health primarily aimed at
Prodigies and monsters
The supernumerary leg
Before the advent of antenatal screening, birth abnormalities were far commoner than they are today. Early medical journals had a
Prodigies and monsters
Monsieur Mangetout
Medical journals usually pride themselves on presenting cutting-edge research, but in 1851 The Medical Examiner reported a case which was
Unusual treatments
Put a bandage on it
The treatment of venereal disease was one of the main functions of the medical profession from the Middle Ages until
The black sheep
In the days before the NHS, when physicians charged patients for their services, there was an unspoken agreement that members
Bewildering research
Poisoning pooches in the park
[with apologies to Tom Lehrer] Articles in early scientific journals are often little more than a series of anecdotes, without
Medical shenanigans
Portrait of a quack
In 1804 The Medical and Physical Journal decided to name and shame some of London’s most notorious quacks. One of
Medical shenanigans, Notable deaths
Medical qualifications: optional
Here’s a report of a criminal trial at the Old Bailey from a little over a century ago which truly made