The self-inflicted lithotomy
The output of the French baroque composer Marin Marais contains an oddity: a musical depiction of a surgical operation. A […]
Horrifying operations
September 2015
Bewildering research, Notable deaths
Chess and phrenology
In 1841 The Dublin Journal of Medical Science printed a short report of a meeting which had taken place earlier
Medical shenanigans
Do no harm – unless it’s a criminal
In 1875 the British Medical Journal had some fun digging around in the archives: BARBAROUS PUNISHMENT: A SURGEON’S OCCUPATION. –
Medical shenanigans
A 19th-century doctor’s guide to etiquette
In the nineteenth century the medical profession had something of an image problem. The archetype of the pompous or unscrupulous
Horrifying operations, Remarkable recoveries
Such is the fortitude of females
Rhinoplasty is one of the oldest surgical operations, known to have been practised by the Indian surgeon Sushruta in the
Remarkable recoveries
The rocket man
November 5th has long been a busy night for practitioners of emergency medicine. Injuries caused by fireworks are as old
Unusual treatments
The cod-liver oil binge
Lupus is an autoimmune disease characterised by a skin rash, joint pain and fatigue. Although poorly understood even today, it
Horrifying operations
The self-performed caesarian
A jaw-dropping case was reported in The New York Medical and Physical Journal in 1823, one in which a patient
Unfortunate predicaments
Worms on the pillow
A peculiar case was reported to readers of The Lancet in 1856 by Dr Jonathan Green, the proprietor of a
Unusual treatments
Opium – perfect for babies
In 1849 Mrs Charlotte Winslow of Bangor in Maine invented a medicinal product for children which was as successful in