A fatal nose job
This dramatic headline from an early edition of The Lancet caught my eye: It’s a great illustration of the changing […]
Horrifying operations
Horrifying operations
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
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
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
Horrifying operations, Unusual treatments
A fright for sore eyes
Bright sunlight has long been known to be bad for the eyes. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can cause a range
Horrifying operations
The original Lead Belly
A weighty matter was reported in the Maryland and Virginia Medical Journal in 1860: One of the most extraordinary operations
Horrifying operations, Unusual treatments
The port-wine enema
Alcoholic drinks were an important part of the physician’s armoury until surprisingly recently. In the early years of the twentieth
Horrifying operations
Anaesthesia for lions (and bears)
The Canada Medical Journal for 1870 has news from the Raj: We mentioned the other day the severe injury sustained by one of
Horrifying operations
A painful way to ‘cure’ a stammer
On April 1st 1841 Thomas Young, a labourer at a forge, walked into the Metropolitan Free Hospital in London and
Horrifying operations, Primitive equipment
The twelve-hour tonsillectomy
Until fairly recently, tonsillectomy was quite a common procedure – and for many children their first experience of surgery. Because