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 […]
Bewildering research
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
Horrifying operations
The self-inflicted lithotomy
The output of the French baroque composer Marin Marais contains an oddity: a musical depiction of a surgical operation. A
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