The electric centipede
In December 1831 The Lancet reported these strange goings-on in France: A farmer’s wife, twenty-eight years of age, residing in […]
Horrifying operations
The first caesarean in Ireland
Caesarean section is now the most commonly performed major operation in many parts of the world. A study published in
Mysterious illnesses, Remarkable recoveries
An infinite number of worms
Many medicines prescribed by physicians of the past were chemicals now known to be highly toxic. Mercury, arsenic and antimony
Mysterious illnesses
A knotty problem
I recently learned a medical term I hadn’t heard before: ‘true knot’, meaning a knot that forms in the umbilical
Horrifying operations
Eighth time lucky
You may be familiar with this dramatic photo, which has been doing the rounds recently on social media (mainly thanks
Primitive equipment, Unusual treatments
The child who swallowed a pin
The eighteenth-century surgeon William Boys, although a distinguished clinician and Fellow of the Royal Society, was perhaps better known as
Four lambs and two puppies
This strange little tale appeared in various literary and medical journals in 1806. This version is taken from The Medical
Claws for concern
Philipp Franz von Walther was an eminent German surgeon highly regarded for his expertise in ophthalmology and as a pioneer
Remarkable recoveries
The tin box
Cases of unusual foreign objects can make entertaining reading, though often for the ‘wrong’ reasons. The medical literature is full
Horrifying operations, Unfortunate predicaments
The spoon swallower
Here’s an intriguing snippet reported by the Paris correspondent of the Lancet in September 1882: We have now a patient