The champagne cure
Pyaemia is a form of septicaemia (blood poisoning) in which a bacterial infection spreads from an abscess and becomes systemic. […]
Unusual treatments
June 2017
The monk with a perfume bottle stuck up his bottom
Today’s dose of medical mishap is excerpted from an influential textbook published in 1837 by George Bushe, a surgeon who
Robot hearts
The horrors of nineteenth-century medicine will return to this blog tomorrow, but here’s a brief intermezzo: The Guardian recently printed a
Remarkable recoveries, Unfortunate predicaments
The lancer lanced
On November 9th 1869 a private from the 5th Royal Irish Lancers, ‘Richard F.’, arrived at the Royal Victoria Hospital
Remarkable recoveries, Unfortunate predicaments
A strange tale
Today’s tale is a ‘news in brief’ item published by The Medical Standard in 1895: Drs. Hart and Watts of
Bewildering research, Horrifying operations
The ‘first’ heart transplant
Do you know who performed the world’s first heart transplant ? The surgeon usually credited with the feat is the
Hidden dangers
An abominable, disgusting habit
There are plenty of common myths about Victorian social mores, but anything you have read about their disapproval of onanism
The long road to recovery
Today’s post is something of a rarity, since it comes from a medical journal which only existed for a year,
Medical shenanigans
Publication day!
A brief diversion from normal service on this blog for a gratuitous advertisement: today is publication day for my book The