Libel and lithotomy
In his textbook The Principles of Surgery (1801) the Scottish surgeon John Bell emphasised the importance of speed when operating […]
Medical shenanigans
The surgeon and the smugglers
Richard Elkanah Hoyle was not a famous surgeon. He never invented a new operation, or contributed to a medical journal,
The heart surgeon and the Nazis
The American Michael DeBakey was one of the giants of twentieth-century surgery. His extraordinary career spanned eight decades, beginning in
Bewildering research, Medical shenanigans
Do no harm
‘First, do no harm.’ You may be familiar with this aphorism, which in the last hundred years or so has
Dodgy predictions, Medical shenanigans
Commercial break
Just a quick update on a few exciting developments. My new book The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth will be on
Medical shenanigans, Mysterious illnesses
Asleep while she gave birth
Things have been rather quiet on this blog in recent weeks, so apologies if you’ve been missing your regular fix
Medical shenanigans
Not getting his hands dirty
If you haven’t been watching the BBC2 comedy Quacks, you’re missing a treat. It’s set in the world of mid-Victorian
Medical shenanigans
A receipt for making a rupture
In the 1820s the British physician John Cheyne made a special study of the numerous ways in which soldiers tried
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
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