The woman who turned to soap
In February 1846 a group of gravediggers in New York had a truly spooky experience when they were asked to […]
Notable deaths, Prodigies and monsters
Notable deaths
Notable deaths, Unfortunate predicaments
Killed by a cough
In 1734 James Jamieson, a surgeon from Thurso in the Scottish borders reported this case in the Medical Essays and
Dead or alive at will
In 1733 a book about depression and mental health was published in Dublin: The English Malady; or, A Treatise of
Notable deaths, Unfortunate predicaments
The seven-foot tumour
This brief case report is a reminder that there are certain medical horrors which were once commonplace but which are
Notable deaths
Dead from too much pie
Recovering from the annual excess of mince pies and roast potatoes, I was amused to come across this passage from
Hidden dangers, Notable deaths
Death by Christmas dinner
If you haven’t yet bought everything for your Christmas dinner, this tale from almost 200 years ago may cause you
The case of the missing pen
You know those stories about old soldiers who suddenly develop mysterious back pain in their eighties, and discover that it’s caused by
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
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
Notable deaths, Unfortunate predicaments
Breaking news: swallowing knives is bad for you
Compulsive swallowers have always featured heavily in medical literature. There are numerous cases in 19th-century journals – but most of