Category: Uncategorized
The Frontal Lobe of Phineas Gage
I first heard the story of Phineas Gage in 1998, during my second year at Medical School....
Read More
The Legend of Bian Que
The legendary Bian Que is considered to be the first true physician in China. He is credited as...
Read More
The History of Surgical Gloves
In modern medicine, the thought of performing surgery without wearing gloves is utterly...
Read More
The Nervous System of Harriet Cole
This story, set in 1880s post Civil War America, particularly appealed to me due to my love of...
Read More
The Discovery of Insulin
Nearly all of us know at least one person that has diabetes. The World Health Organisation (WHO)...
Read More
The Terrible Tale of Typhoid Mary
Typhoid fever is a particularly nasty infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. The...
Read More
What Killed George Washington?
George Washington is, without doubt, one of the world’s most famous historical figures. He served...
Read More
Smallpox and the Conquest of Mexico
In 1517 the Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital of...
Read More
John Snow and the 1854 Cholera Outbreak
In August 1854, Soho in London was struck with a severe cholera outbreak. Cholera is a...
Read More
The Story of Penicillin
I sometimes take antibiotics for granted. As a doctor, I have prescribed thousands of courses of...
Read More
Germ Warfare and the Siege of Fort Pitt
Germ warfare is defined as “the use of biological toxins or infectious agents with the intent to...
Read More
Medical Lessons From the Battlefield
War’s only silver lining is to advance medical understanding. During World War 2, eye injuries...
Read More
Recent Comments