Dec 30, 2019 | Medical Pioneers
Rosalind Franklin is one of the most controversial female figures in the field of science. Her X-ray diffraction work played a vital role in the discovery of the DNA double helix, yet she did not receive the acknowledgement that she deserved at the time. Her life was...
Oct 14, 2019 | Medical Pioneers
“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” – Sir William Osler The name Osler is very familiar to most medical students and doctors. Osler is widely regarded as ‘The Father of Modern Medicine’ for...
Aug 11, 2019 | Discoveries & Breakthroughs
Medicine wasn’t always as we know it now in its current refined form. There weren’t always processed pills and syrups, and there weren’t any complicated procedures to help the injured heal and recover. But one thing that has always existed is the common goal which...
Jun 12, 2019 | Surgery & The Knife
Before the 1800s surgery was a risky business. In some London hospitals, the post-operative mortality rates were as high as 80%, and a mortality rate of 50% was considered acceptable. Operations were horrendous ordeals for the patients, with many dying on the table or...
Apr 11, 2019 | Discoveries & Breakthroughs
In the 14 years or so that I worked in the Emergency Department, I ordered literally thousands of X-rays. X-rays have a wide range of applications varying from the diagnosis of simple bone fractures, through to the investigation of complex heart conditions and the...
Jan 22, 2019 | Medical Pioneers
After qualifying as a doctor from Imperial College in 2001, my year group organised a special graduation celebration ceremony where we all had the opportunity to recite a modernised version of the famous Hippocratic Oath. It was a lovely day and everyone that attended...
Nov 20, 2018 | Discoveries & Breakthroughs
I first heard the story of Phineas Gage in 1998, during my second year at Medical School. Neuroanatomy was not my strongest suit, and I spent most of the lectures scribbling notes in a frantic haze of confusion, desperately hoping that I would be able to decipher them...
Oct 30, 2018 | Medical Pioneers
The legendary Bian Que is considered to be the first true physician in China. He is credited as having developed traditional Chinese medicine and with several other notable achievements. The stories of his life have an almost mythical nature to them. His real name was...
Sep 19, 2018 | Surgery & The Knife
In modern medicine, the thought of performing surgery without wearing gloves is utterly unthinkable. It is common knowledge that their use helps to prevent the transmission of infection in operating theatres, as well as protecting the surgeon and other staff. This...
Aug 18, 2018 | Surgery & The Knife
This story, set in 1880s post Civil War America, particularly appealed to me due to my love of anatomy. The two main players in this unusual tale are very different individuals indeed. The first, Harriet Cole, was an African-American woman who worked as a cleaning...
